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Union Home Minister's Remarks on Illegal Immigration

On Tuesday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah expressed concerns regarding demographic shifts in border regions, attributing these changes to illegal immigration, which he described as part of a 'deliberate design' that threatens national security.

During the opening session of the Vibrant Villages Programme workshop in New Delhi, Shah urged district collectors in border areas to take measures against 'illegal religious structures,' which he claimed are part of this broader issue.

Shah emphasized that these demographic changes pose a direct threat to the nation's security and borders, stating, 'It should not be assumed that this is happening due to geographical conditions…rather, it is occurring as part of a deliberate design.'

He called for the removal of encroachments within a 30-km radius of the borders and commended the Gujarat government for its initiatives to clear such encroachments along both maritime and land borders.

Shah noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had previously highlighted demographic changes as a significant concern during his Independence Day address.

In his speech on August 15, Modi warned of a 'conspiracy' aimed at altering the country through illegal infiltration, stating, 'These ghuspaithiyas [infiltrators] are snatching the bread and butter of our youth.' He also mentioned that his government plans to launch a 'high-powered demographic mission' to address these issues.

Shah's comments come in the wake of the Trinamool Congress raising alarms about the detention of Bengali-speaking migrant workers suspected of being from Bangladesh.

Since the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, police in several BJP-ruled states have detained Bengali-speaking individuals, primarily Muslims, demanding proof of their Indian citizenship.

Some individuals have reportedly been sent to Bangladesh after failing to establish their citizenship, while others mistakenly deported have returned upon verification of their Indian nationality.