Meghalaya mulls new law to curb Bangladeshis: Tynsong

The Meghalaya government is considering more effective legal measures to thwart attempts at infiltration by undocumented migrants from neighbouring Bangladesh.
“We are seriously thinking of strengthening and revisiting, the existing Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act (MRSSA) or even enact a new law to deal with illegal Bangladeshi immigrants which the government is still deliberating on,” Deputy Chief Minister in-charge Prestone Tynsong said.
Meghalaya shares a 443-km border with Bangladesh, of which 49.216 km is unfenced and has terrain difficult to patrol.
Nevertheless, Border Security Force troopers and Meghalaya Police from time to time have detained illegal Bangladeshi nationals who entered Meghalaya illegally with the support of Indian touts.
Underscoring an urgent need for stringent legislative provisions to complement central laws such as the Infiltration of Illegal Immigrants (Prevention, Identification and Deportation) Act, Tynsong said, “I think it is important and very urgent. We need to have some kind of mechanism that will act as an effective deterrent against illegal Bangladeshi immigrants in the State. Moreover, the state laws can be enacted to supplement the existing central laws wherever necessary.”
Noting that infiltration from Bangladesh is not limited to Meghalaya, the Deputy Chief Minister said, “Infiltration from Bangladesh is not taking place through Meghalaya alone but also West Bengal, Assam, etc.”