But the government of Kerala has intensified a crackdown on illegal migration as they arrested three Bangladeshi men in Kozhikode district for residing in India without valid travel or immigration documents.
The arrests were made as a surprise inspection at a migrant workers' camp in the Kalpally area of Mavoor. A police team led by Mavoor Station House Officer Mohammed Rafeeq carried out the inspections as part of stepped-up verification of migrant settlements and rented accommodation.
The three accused have been identified as Mohammad Wula Hossain, Mohammad Hasan Ali and Mohammad Mehdi Hasan. They are being held in rented accommodation by migrant workers in rented accommodation and are working in the construction sector, according to the police.
Investigators found fake identity cards on the accused during the inspection. Officers have since confirmed that the three are Bangladeshi nationals who had entered India without the proper documents and had arrived in Mavoor about 20 days ago to work at local construction sites.
Police have since conducted a wide-ranging investigation into how the trio entered the country, the route they took and whether local people assisted them. They are also looking into those who employed the men and whether more undocumented foreign nationals may be residing in that area.
Mobile phones seized from the accused will undergo forensic examination to identify their contacts, movement history and possible links to organised immigration networks. Investigators are also tracing the origin of the SIM cards used by the accused and whether forged documents were created with the assistance of local agents.
A case has been registered under the relevant provisions of the Immigration and Foreigners Act relating to illegal entry and unauthorised stay in India. The accused are expected to be brought before a local court.
Given the potential security implications, central and state intelligence agencies like the IB, Special Branch and State Special Branch are involved in the investigation. Now officials are trying to know whether the arrests are an isolated incident or part of a larger network that facilitates illegal cross-border movement.
In the meantime, police have announced that inspections at migrant worker camps and rented accommodation across the Mavoor region will continue in the coming days as part of an intensified verification campaign.
According to intelligence sources, agencies are also monitoring what they describe as an emerging pattern. Following the recent West Bengal Assembly elections, many of the migrant workers from West Bengal are believed to have come back to Kerala for jobs. Intelligence officials are also studying the potential of illegal immigrants seeking to fit in with this movement of genuine workers who are coming to southern states to work. The inputs are currently being verified as part of the investigation and authorities are not saying whether the Kozhikode case is linked with any organised network.
Officials said that the investigation is ongoing and more arrests or searches may be made if more people or facilitators are linked to the illegal immigration or document forgery. This case once more shows that identity verification, border security and coordination of intelligence sharing are essential to prevent illegal entry by migrants into the country and to support genuine migrants in the immigration system.
