Intensifying its crackdown on foreigners staying illegally in India, the Ministry of Home Affairs has asked states, Union Territories and authorities which issue Aadhaar, voter ID and ration cards to check if the applicant’s name figures in a database of immigrants before issuing any document to them, The Indian Express has learnt. The move is the latest in a series of steps to crack down on illegal immigration, ensure that those here illegally are deported at the earliest, and make sure they are not able to get access to documents or ID proofs that Indians are entitled to. As reported by The Indian Express earlier this month, the MHA has also set a 30-day deadline for states and Union Territories to verify the credentials of persons suspected to be illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and Myanmar who claim to be Indian citizens. After the 30-day period, if their documents are not verified, they will face deportation, it is learnt. According to officials, states, UTs and relevant authorities will be provided access to an integrated server containing databases of the Immigration Visa Foreigner Registration Tracking (IVFRT) system, the Foreigners Identification Portal (FIP), and the Indo-Myanmar Border (IMB) pass system. In a communication earlier this month, the Ministry wrote, “Recently, several reports/concerns have been raised to the MHA regarding procurement of Indian documents — voter ID card, Aadhaar card, Ayushman card, Indian passport and ration card — by foreigners through fraudulent means, bypassing the procedure made by the law for claiming benefits and facilities which they are not entitled to. This is a serious matter, and it also leads to illegal/criminal and anti-national activities by such foreigners using fake IDs.” A senior official from the paramilitary forces said the “database, including biometrics of foreigners entering India from the Indo-Myanmar border, is available in the IMB pass system, and the MHA is in the process of integrating it with the IVFRT. Eventually, all three databases will be made available to Indian authorities issuing identity/beneficiary documents through a common integration server.” Emphasising the need to incorporate this step before issuing any documents, the MHA wrote, “With a view to prevent foreigners from procuring Indian documents and claiming social benefits which are exclusively reserved for Indian citizens, authorities in the State government and UT administration issuing any such Indian document or providing social benefit to Indian citizens should mandatorily cross check the details of applicant with the database available in the IVFRT, FIP and IMB border pass systems through the common integration server, to ensure that the applicant is not a foreign national.” The MHA also directed that details of those who have already been granted Indian documents/social benefits be cross-checked with the three databases. “During such checking, if any match is found, the Indian document or social benefits provided to the particular individual need to be deactivated or cancelled forthwith as per established due process,” it wrote. “Details of such individuals, whose Indian documents issued or the social benefits provided have been deactivated/cancelled, should also be shared with other concerned agencies for deactivation/cancellation of documents issued by them,” the MHA wrote. In February, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had said that strict action should be taken against any network that helps illegal Bangladeshi and Rohingya immigrants enter the country, obtain documents, and facilitate their stay. “The issue of illegal intruders is also related to national security, and it should be dealt with strictly. They should be deported,” Shah had said.
