Touts in Meghalaya charge anywhere between Rs 20,000 and Rs 30,000 from illegal Bangladeshi migrants entering India, cabinet minister Lahkmen Rymbui has said.
Smuggling and helping migrants cross the border are lucrative activities for some but, overall, Rymbui praised villagers on the Indo-Bangladesh border in Meghalaya, the state police and Border Security Force (BSF) for ensuring that infiltrators do not enter the country, especially because the situation is volatile in Bangladesh at the moment.
Rymbui accepted that illegal immigrants are trying to sneak into the country and he urged everyone to be vigilant. He also described it as sad that there are a few people in Meghalaya who act as conduits for illegal migration.
“The government is trying to prevent (Bangladeshis from entering). But there are people who are trying to take advantage of the situation in Bangladesh and are charging Rs 20,000 to Rs 30,000,” the minister said.
However, Rymbui praised others who have informed the authorities of illegal migrants, which led to their capture.
Pointing out that eviction drives in Assam are ongoing against supposed Bangladeshis and that there is the Summary Intensive Revision of voters in West Bengal, Rymbui urged all stakeholders in Meghalaya to be vigilant so that infiltrators do not find refuge in the state.
