Amid opposition from political parties and civil society groups, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma today defended the state government’s move to explore the inclusion of an Inner Line Permit (ILP)-like provision under the proposed new Immigration and Foreigners Act, stating that the objective is to curb illegal immigration through effective legal mechanisms.
Responding to a question during a press conference on why the government is pursuing the proposal and how it intends to address criticism, Sangma said it would be premature to oppose the move without first understanding its contents, structure and intent. He described it as “strange” that objections were being raised even before a written proposal had been finalised.
“The core issue for us is illegal immigration. It is not ILP, it is not the Immigration Act, it is not the MRSSA (Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act). Our focus is illegal immigration, and therefore we need laws and mechanisms to check it,” the Chief Minister said.
Sangma said the government is not claiming that its proposal would be perfect and acknowledged that there could be gaps or shortcomings. However, he stressed that such conclusions can only be drawn after dialogue and detailed discussions. He said the government is attempting to strike a balance between securing the cooperation of the Government of India and addressing the concerns of the public, political parties and civil society organisations.
“We are exploring whether this is a possibility. If one option is not acceptable to the Centre, and another is not acceptable to the public, we need to find a middle path that helps us achieve the final objective of checking illegal immigration,” he said.
On the MRSSA, Sangma said it is incorrect to claim that the law is not being implemented. He said MRSSA systems have been put in place in many localities and have received a largely positive response, although implementation is still ongoing due to the large number of villages and the need for infrastructure and investment.
At the same time, the Chief Minister pointed out structural challenges within the MRSSA framework, highlighting inconsistencies between the Act and its rules. He said certain provisions in the rules, such as the establishment of entry and exit checkpoints, are not backed by the Act itself, creating legal hurdles.
He recalled that attempts were made earlier to amend the Act to address these gaps, but the process could not be completed due to objections raised at the gubernatorial level. As a result, the government is now examining whether provisions under immigration-related laws could offer an alternative route to legally empower the state to establish checking mechanisms.
Sangma said the government will soon hold consultations with political parties, organisations and other stakeholders to explain the proposal and seek consensus. “Only after clarity, discussion and broad agreement will we move forward,” he said, adding that dialogue remains essential to refining any mechanism aimed at addressing illegal immigration in the state.
