Rohingya infiltration serious issue, threat to security: MEA official says in Tripura

MEA official addresses serious issue of Rohingya infiltration from Bangladesh, emphasizing need for nationality identification before repatriation.

Infiltration, especially by Rohingyas, from across the Bangladesh border has become a "very serious" issue, a Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) official said in Agartala on July 29.

As many as 29 Bangladesh nationals with no valid travel documents were arrested in two places in Tripura since Saturday.

“Infiltration, especially Rohingya infiltration, has become a very serious issue. The presence of Rohingyas has been found in Hyderabad, Haryana and Kashmir. This is a threat to the security,” MEA Joint Secretary Ankan Banerjee told the media.

“The infiltration issue is being discussed at the highest level. We want to push the illegal immigrants back, but the MEA can’t give clearance until the host country establishes their identification of nationality,” he said.

When his attention was drawn to a number of juvenile infiltrators being held up either in detention centres or jails due to the absence of a green signal from the MEA, Mr. Banerjee clarified in most cases, the infiltrators do not give correct information and the host country doesn’t want them to return. “The MEA is just an intervening agency which can’t issue clearance unless nationality identification is cleared by the country concerned,” he said.

Mr. Banerjee also said that the MEA has been trying to expedite connectivity with the northeast and Kolkata through Bangladesh. “It is happening… We can’t force anyone. We have a very favourable government in Dhaka since 2009. This (connectivity) is a political issue. There was a massive protest in Bangladesh recently. I am sure all the pending issues will be addressed amicably by the highest leadership of both countries,” he said.

Violence gripped Bangladesh recently and the government called in the army to quell protests against job quotas. The government in the neighbouring country on Monday officially acknowledged that 150 people were killed during the students’ unrest.