Assam illegal alien law

By Zeenat Z. Syed UPS eDeployment
14 July 2005, 18:00 PM
The Indian Supreme Court has recently overturned the Illegal Migrants Determination through Tribunal or IMDT Act that was introduced in 1983. This law has been used to identify and deport illegal migrant workers or in most cases the Bengali speaking migrants. The new law will be referred to the Foreigners Act.

As this law is put into effect Bengali speaking migrant workers who have been living in Assam since after 1971 will be deported. This will not only cause many individuals and families to lose their homes, it will also cause minorities to be persecuted who were before protected under the IMDT Act. Bengali speaking migrants who live in Assam for decades since 1971 will be found as illegal immigrants and deported causing an influx of migrant workers. The burden will fall on Bangladesh who will have no choice but to accept these workers.

It is in the best interest of the Bangladesh government to address the issue of this new Act.