Illegal Migrants in India

Syllabus: GS3/Internal Security

Context

• The Union Home Minister directed the security agencies to take strict measures against infiltration, asking the police chiefs to detect and deport illegal migrants. 

Illegal Immigrants in India

• In the last three Censuses, roughly 94% of all India’s Bangladesh-born residents lived in the five border States (West Bengal, Assam, Tripura, Meghalaya, and Mizoram).
• India and Bangladesh share a 4,096.7-km-long border, which till recently was mostly porous.
  • In 2025, the Home Ministry said 3,232 km of the Indo-Bangla border had been fenced.

Refugee Crisis in India

• Afghan Refugees: With the Taliban’s resurgence in Afghanistan, there has been an influx of Afghan refugees into India seeking safety and asylum. Many of them are Sikhs and Hindus facing religious persecution.
• Bangladeshi migrants: Historically entered India due to economic reasons; significant numbers have settled in West Bengal, Assam, Tripura, and other northeastern states.
• Rohingya Crisis: Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar have sought refuge in India due to ethnic violence and persecution in Myanmar’s Rakhine State.
  • India has been grappling with their status, with the government taking a firm stance on their deportation.
• Tibetan Refugees: Tibetans have been living in India since the 1959 Tibetan uprising against Chinese rule.
  • They are granted refugee status and live primarily in settlements in states like Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka.
• Sri Lanka: In the case of Sri Lankan Tamil refugees, many of them are in camps in Tamil Nadu. The state government provides them an allowance and allows them to seek jobs, and their children to attend school.
  • After the end of the Sri Lanka civil war in 2009, India has encouraged return through the method of voluntary repatriation, if the situation back home is safe. 

India’s Policy on Refugees

• India has welcomed refugees in the past, with nearly 300,000 people categorised as refugees. 
  • This includes the Tibetans, Chakmas from Bangladesh, and refugees from Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, etc. 
• But India is not a signatory to the 1951 UN Refugee Convention or the 1967 Protocol relating to the Status of Refugee. Nor does India have a refugee policy or a refugee law.

• All foreign undocumented nationals are governed as per the provisions of The Foreigners Act, 1946, The Registration of Foreigners Act, 1939, The Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920 and The Citizenship Act, 1955.
• As per the MHA foreign nationals who enter into the country without valid travel documents are treated as illegal immigrants.

Reasons for India’s Policy on Refugees

• Resource Strain: Hosting refugees puts pressure on resources, especially in areas where infrastructure is already stretched thin.
• Social Cohesion: Large numbers of refugees can strain social cohesion, potentially leading to tensions with host communities.
• Security Concerns: There are security concerns related to refugee influxes, including the potential infiltration of extremist elements or challenges in monitoring movements across porous borders.
• Diplomatic Relations: Hosting refugees strain diplomatic relations with neighboring countries or countries of origin.
• Economic Impact: Refugees compete for low-skilled jobs, affecting the local job market, while their potential contributions to the economy through entrepreneurship or labor may not be fully realized.

Conclusion

• India’s approach to refugees is shaped by a tradition of humanitarianism, regional geopolitics, and national security concerns. 
• Though India is not a signatory to the 1951 UN Refugee Convention or its 1967 Protocol, it has historically provided refuge to various displaced communities. 
• As global displacement continues to rise, there is an increasing need for India to establish a clear and consistent national refugee policy that balances humanitarian obligations with security and demographic concerns.

Source: TH