india

Updated: Sep 11, 2019 15:38 IST

The Nagaland home department on Tuesday issued an advisory against possible influx of illegal immigrants to the state.

The advisory issued as a “preventive measure” follows publication of the final National Register of Citizens (NRC) for Assam, which had excluded 1.9 million applicants.

“All entry points/check gates manned by the police should be suitably strengthened to prevent any possible influx of illegal immigrants and mobile patrolling in vulnerable should be activated,” said the advisory.

Nagaland is one of the three states in northeast where people from outside the state need to obtain inner line permit (ILP) to enter—Dimapur, the commercial hub, is kept outside its purview. The other two states are Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh.

The advisory added that non-locals should not be allowed to enter the state without valid documents issued by the district administration and any unusual influx of “outsiders” should be brought to the knowledge of government authorities.

All village, town and municipal authorities have been instructed to take measures to strictly monitor influx of people from outside the tate in violation of existing rules.

Police and district administrations have been asked to verify antecedents of new tenants in their areas and also to strictly monitor regulation of ILP, especially in border areas.

On Tuesday, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma informed the state assembly that since publication of final NRC on August 31, authorities have been directed to maintain strict 24-hour vigil and conduct checks to prevent entry of people from Assam to the state without sufficient documentary proof.

“Adequate manpower has been deployed at check posts at key entry points bordering Assam, additional check points have been set up and are being manned round the clock,” he said.

“Till date, 223 outsiders who could not produce original valid documents have been detected and sent back to their place of origin. They were advised to bring valid documents as and when they visit the state (Meghalaya),” Sangma added.

Since publication of the final NRC, there’s apprehension in some states of the region that those left out of the list, which seeks to identify illegal immigrants staying in Assam, could enter their territories.

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma and his Mizoram and Nagaland counterparts, Zoramthanga and Neiphiu Rio, had expressed such concerns at the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) conclave held in Guwahati this Monday.

Allaying their fears, Union home minister Amit Shah, who had attended the meeting of the political alliance comprising BJP and other parties from the region, had stressed that no illegal immigrant would be allowed to enter other states of the region from Assam.