Despite apprehending 692 illegal immigrants in 2.5 years, only 169 were deported due to lengthy court processes and lack of detention facilities
Four Bangladesh nationals were arrested recently. File pic
The city police and its special branch (I Branch) have apprehended 692 Bangladeshi nationals in the last 2.5 years but have only managed to deport 169 people. Most cases are pending before the courts, and these illegal immigrants are out on bail due to the lack of a detention centre in the city. Officials noted that the recent arrests of Bangladeshi nationals by the ATS, who had also voted in the Lok Sabha elections, were earlier arrested by the I Branch of the city police, which specialises in tracking illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.
According to official data from the city police, 177 Bangladeshi nationals have been apprehended by the city police and the I Branch so far this year, with 81 deported and the remaining cases pending before the courts. In 2023, the city police arrested 368 Bangladeshi nationals and managed to deport only 68 of them. In 2022, a total of 147 Bangladeshi nationals were arrested, and only 21 were deported.
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Officials stated that these Bangladeshi nationals are aware of the legal process and how to prolong their stay after arrest while their cases are pending. “Court proceedings take at least 3-5 years, and once arrested, they usually get bail within a month. Since there is no detention centre in the city, they are allowed to stay in India until their case is resolved. During this period, many Bangladeshi nationals start working and obtain Indian identity cards using forged documents with the help of agents,” an officer of the crime branch said.
The official stated that illegal immigrants can only be deported after the court finds them guilty and they complete their sentencing, which is around a year and six months. However, the conviction process takes at least 3-5 years, during which time they live in India and cannot be re-arrested as the case is pending before the courts. “The discussion about establishing detention centres in Mumbai is underway to ensure that illegal immigrants can be held there until the court reaches a final judgment,” a senior officer of the city police said.
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