New Delhi: In wake of the ongoing Rohingya crisis, the home ministry is working on a plan to put in place a mechanism of stringent checks along the Myanmar border. As of now, there is a bilateral pact between India and Myanmar, which allows free movement between citizens from both sides along a 16km stretch.
The Centre has already made its intent of deporting the illegal Rohingya immigrants describing them as a possible “security threat”. There has been a large-scale influx of Rohingyas after persecution in Myanmar’s Rakhine province.
A team comprising senior officials from the home ministry has already visited Mizoram, Nagaland, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh, which have border with Myanmar and where the Free Movement Regime (FMR) is in force. During the visit, the team made a detailed study of the various entry and exit points along the sensitive border and also reviewed the existing system in place.
The team had detailed meetings with chief secretaries of the four states, police chiefs and senior officials of security agencies like Assam Rifles.
The committee, which is currently examining the issue, will submit a report to the government on corrective measures that need to be put in place to check the Rohingyas inflow from across the border. It will also prepare standard operating procedures common for all the four states. Home minister Rajnath Singh had set up the committee a few months ago to review of the existing regime.
Even chief ministers of the four northeastern states had also raised security concerns, claiming that even militant outfits were using the free movement mechanism for smuggling of arms and ammunition, narcotics as well as fake currency.
According to the present norms, people living in 16km on either side of the border can stay for a maximum of three-days with valid permits and documents issued by designated authorities in the two countries. This mechanism was put in place in view of social and cultural relations between people on the both sides.
The home minister had said the 16-km stretch was being misused by terror groups and criminals for smuggling in banned goods. He added that taking advantage of the visa-free travel, the criminals could commit crime and move out to their safe hideouts.
