In a move to identify illegal foreigners residing in Jammu and Kashmir for the last 13 years, the UT administration has constituted a seven-member panel. The panel will identify the illegal foreigners who have been overstaying since 2011 and will facilitate their deportation. The seven-member panel has been mandated to gather biographic and biometric details of illegal migrants and maintain an updated digital record on a regular basis.
In an order, Principal Secretary to the Government, Home Department, Chandraker Bharti said, "Sanction is hereby accorded to the re-constitution of the committee to identify foreign nationals illegally overstaying in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir since 2011".
The panel will be headed by the administrative secretary of the home department. Other members of the panel include the Foreigners Regional Registration Officer (FRRO) of Punjab, the Criminal Investigation Department (Special Branch) of the Jammu and Srinagar headquarters, and all district SSPs and SPs (Foreigners Registration), along with the state coordinator, NIC.
Panel to coordinate and oversee tracing, deportating efforts
As per the order, the committee will have to prepare a monthly report and submit it to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) by the fifth day of every month. Additionally, the Home Department has directed the panel to coordinate and oversee tracing and deporting efforts in the Union Territory. The panel will be responsible for disseminating any information on ongoing cases in various courts along with monitoring and updating the status of these cases for relevant stakeholders.
Biometric and biographic data to be collected
The order further added that the nodal officer will oversee the biographic and biometric data collection of illegally overstaying migrants and compile progress reports. The nodal officer will also maintain an up-to-date digital record of those illegally staying in Jammu and Kashmir. It is pertinent to note that the J-K Police launched a crackdown on t illegal immigrants in 2021 and detained more than 270 Rohingyas from Myanmar, including 74 women and 70 children, at the sub-jail in Kathua district’s Hiranagar.
(With PTI Inputs)
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