New Delhi: Illegal immigrants pose a serious threat to sovereignty, security, and public resources, said Solicitor General Tushar Mehta on Friday during a hearing in the Supreme Court over alleged illegal detention and deportation of migrant Muslim workers from West Bengal on suspicion of being Bangladeshi nationals.
SG Mehta, appearing for Centre informed that illegal Bangladeshi immigrants often mix with Rohingya groups, with some reportedly turning to extremist activities. He furhter argued that individuals must prove their legal presence in India.
The Supreme Court bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi was hearing a petition filed through the West Bengal Migrant Workers Welfare Board claiming that individuals are being pushed back across the border without any legal determination of their citizenship.
The bench expressed concern over delays in habeas corpus petitions and directed the High Court to urgently hear such cases and verify the citizenship status of affected individuals.
Justice Bagchi also raised the issue of possible bias against Bengali-speaking individuals. He remarked that there should not be a presumption that all Bengali-speaking persons are illegal Bangladeshi immigrants. The Court said national security, sovereignty, and resources are valid concerns. It added that the government must also consider the shared culture and heritage of border regions like Bengal and Punjab. In these areas, language and ethnicity often overlap despite international borders, benh noted.
Senior Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for petitioner argued about a specific case where a pregnant woman was deported to Bangladesh without due process.
It was alleged that, later, she was arrested there as an Indian national. This, he argued, shows the dangers of arbitrary deportations.
