New Deportation Policy
Context:
The Union Home Ministry has formulated a stringent new deportation policy aimed at addressing undocumented immigration.
Under this framework, all States have been directed to establish a special task force in each district specifically to "detect, identify and deport/send back illegal migrants" originating from Bangladesh and Myanmar.
Administrative Directives:
District Task Forces:
Beyond immediate identification, these district-level task forces are mandated to generate and submit a monthly status report tracking foreigners who are missing or who are currently overstaying their permitted visas.
Strict Verification Timeline:
To streamline the identification process, the government has fixed an upper limit of 90 days to definitively verify the antecedents of suspected Bangladeshi or Myanmarese nationals, particularly in cases where they claim to be residents of another Indian State.
Framework for Holding Centres:
Infrastructure Restrictions:
States must operationalise dedicated holding centres or camps featuring a 10-foot-high boundary ringed with barbed wire to securely restrict the movement of undocumented migrants pending deportation.
Crucially, the Ministry has explicitly stated that these holding centres must not be operated out of regular jails.
If government land is unavailable, States are permitted to hire private buildings for this purpose.
Living Conditions:
The centres are required to provide sufficient open space for secure movement, separate enclosures for men and women, and essential amenities including an LPG connection in the kitchen and fire safety systems.
These facilities will operate under round-the-clock security and strict access control measures.
Welfare and Human Rights Provisions:
Family Unity and Communication:
The policy explicitly mandates that families must not be separated and should be housed together.
Inmates are allowed unrestricted communication with their family members and their respective Embassy or High Commission using basic mobile phones or a provided landline facility.
Specialised Care:
States must ensure special attention for vulnerable inmates, including women, nursing mothers, and transgender individuals.
The policy suggests engaging language interpreters, mobile medical dispensaries, and 24x7 ambulances.
For children, the centres are advised to provide crèche facilities and arrange for educational integration by admitting them to nearby local schools.