In a fresh directive to crackdown on illegal immigrants, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath Wednesday morning directed all 17 municipal corporations in the state to prepare a list of Rohingya and Bangladeshis engaged in sanitation or other cleaning jobs — directly or by contractual agencies — and hand over the list to the Divisional Commissioner and Inspector General (IG) of the range concerned.
He also directed the Divisional Commissioners of all 18 divisions and IGs of all 18 ranges to set up detention centres in every division.
This comes days after the CM issued instructions to all District Magistrates (DMs) to take swift and stringent action against infiltrators and illegal immigrants. DMs were also asked to set up temporary detention centres in districts.
According to sources, most illegal immigrants take up sanitation work.
As soon as they receive lists of such workers from the respective municipal corporations, the commissioners and IGs have been directed to ensure that illegal immigrants in their division or range are traced, verified, and placed in detention centres before being deported, in accordance with due formalities, directed the CM.
The DMs and the SPs have already been running the drive to identify and trace illegal immigrants staying/employed in districts following the CM’s instructions on November 22, confirmed a government spokesperson.
In a statement issued on November 23, the government had stated that the crackdown along the Nepal border and key urban centres has gained pace, and that the central and state governments are accelerating efforts to identify illegal foreign nationals.
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The government had also stated that UP’s geographical positioning — sharing borders with eight states, one Union Territory, and Nepal — adds further urgency to this campaign. In recent years, incidents involving infiltration, fake IDs, and activities affecting stability have risen in border regions, directly impacting the state.
It further said that according to information shared in Parliament, former Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju stated in 2016 that an estimated 20 million illegal Bangladeshi immigrants may be residing in India. In August 2017, he informed Parliament that more than 40,000 illegal Rohingya migrants are present in the country.
On Wednesday, the government said the presence of illegal foreign nationals affects government benefits, employment opportunities, and resource distribution as many attempt to access welfare schemes through forged identities, posing a disadvantage to genuine beneficiaries. Rapidly growing cities such as Lucknow, Noida, Ghaziabad, and Varanasi face the greatest pressure due to already dense populations and high demand on infrastructure, the government added.
It also claimed that the procedure of verification will be fair and transparent, ensuring no inconvenience to law-abiding individuals.
Bhupendra Pandey is the Resident Editor of the Lucknow edition of The Indian Express. With decades of experience in the heart of Uttar Pradesh’s journalistic landscape, he oversees the bureau’s coverage of India’s most politically significant state. His expertise lies in navigating the complex intersections of state governance, legislative policy, and grassroots social movements. From tracking high-stakes assembly elections to analyzing administrative shifts in the Hindi heartland, Bhupendra’s reportage provides a definitive lens on the region's evolution.
Authoritativeness He leads a team of seasoned reporters and investigators, ensuring that The Indian Express’ signature "Journalism of Courage" is reflected in every regional story. His leadership is central to the Lucknow bureau’s reputation for breaking stories that hold the powerful to account, making him a trusted figure for policy analysts, political scholars, and the general public seeking to understand the nuances of UP’s complex landscape.
Trustworthiness & Accountability Under his stewardship, the Lucknow edition adheres to the strictest standards of factual verification and non-partisan reporting. He serves as a bridge between the local populace and the national discourse, ensuring that regional issues are elevated with accuracy and context. By prioritizing primary-source reporting and on-the-ground verification, he upholds the trust that readers have placed in the Express brand for nearly a century. ... Read More
