Illegal Migrant Determination Tribunal (IMDT)…was designed especially for Assam State, where the issue of illegal immigration has long been a cause of social and ethnic tension. Unfortunately, the IMDT did not perform as expected. From its inception in 1983 through the 2000s, the tribunal identified a mere 10,000 illegal immigrants, and deported only 1,400.
—India: Resolving the Bangladesh Immigration Issue by Joyeeta Bhattacharjee
For decades the people of Bangladesh have lived a challenging life at home because of constant problems with a lack of political and economic control in addition to constant challenges in finding jobs and support their families. This has led to many Bangladeshi citizens illegally immigrating into India, especially into the bordering area of Assam. In the past the Government of India has made it generally easy for people to immigrate, however since the numbers are rapidly increasing and a new political party has taken control of India, the people of Assam are starting to take notice and wanting to take action.
The Government of India has always struggled with the deportation of illegal immigrants, especially those from Bangladesh. Many immigrants have lived in Assam for decades without problems. They have been able to create roots, find jobs, and live the exact same life of India’s citizens. Many also share the same religion, language, and culture, therefore differentiating between immigrants and natives has become very difficult, however, for these reason many immigrants believe they should be able to stay.
Previously, India’s Government addressed the illegal immigrant problem with the Illegal Migrant Determination Tribunal (IMDT) of 1983, however this act did not perform as expected. Walter Fernandes article IMDT Act and Immigration in North-Eastern India, stated the real reason the implementation of this act was to force Assam into a Muslim State, creating protection for only the people of Bangladeshi Muslim community. In 2014, a new Hindu based party, Bharatiya Janata Party, came into control of India, ending the IMDT. After the IMDT was ended, the BJP enacted the Foreigners Act, however this also came with many problems. When this was enacted, India’s authorities started gathering illegal immigrants in India and started the journey to the Bangladeshi border, however once they arrived, the Bangladeshi authorities denied acceptance of the Bangladeshi citizens, causing conflict and violence between the two countries.
This article explains that without help from Bangladesh the movement of immigrants will become extremely difficult for India. Already bloodshed has occurred and political figures are constantly exploiting the problem at hand. Bhattacharjee believes that the only way to resolve this issue is to become friendly with neighboring countries and hope for a consideration of other options for the current problem.
–Rachel New