Delhi’s illegal immigrants hunt: More politics than proof

As Delhi gears up for its Assembly election, a political slugfest has erupted between the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the BJP over alleged irregularities in the electoral roll. While the BJP has accused AAP of increasing its support base with “illegal voters,” particularly undocumented Bangladeshi and Rohingya migrants, AAP has countered this by accusing the BJP of mass deletion of legitimate voters, the majority of them being migrant workers who have settled in slum clusters and unorganised colonies in Delhi. The Election Commission (EC) has ordered Delhi’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) to conduct a thorough check of voter deletions at polling stations with more than two per cent deletions.

Amidst this controversy, a two-month-long drive has been launched by Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor (LG), V.K. Saxena, following a meeting with a delegation of Ulemas (Muslim clerics). The Ulemas condemned atrocities against minorities in Bangladesh and demanded action against illegal immigrants living in Delhi. They urged the identification and deportation of Bangladeshi immigrants.

The delegation was initially reported to be associated with the Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia Dargah Management Committee. However, this committee later filed a complaint asserting that the delegation had no affiliations with them. Syed Ahmed Farid Nizami, president of the Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia Dargah Management Committee, told Frontline that the dargah is a purely non-political platform and to use the dargah’s name for political benefit is not acceptable.

“The issue of illegal migrants is more prevalent in border regions such as Assam and West Bengal. Delhi toh bohot dur hai, yeh waha ke liye zayda bada mudda hai (Delhi is far away; it is a more pressing issue in the bordering regions).” The delegation urged the LG to take strict action against illegal Bangladeshi immigrants living in Delhi.

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But Nizami criticised the delegation’s approach, saying, “If there is injustice happening there, it doesn’t mean that we should respond by being unjust here… They were raising a valid issue and in this matter, the Dargah Management Office is in full support of the government. The problem is that they approached the highest authority in Delhi using the Dargah’s name.”

The letter to the LG was signed by Anwar Shahid, a former vice president of the minority wing of AAP. Shahid, who is no longer associated with any political organisation, told Frontline that social activists and imams from parts of Delhi were present at the meeting. “In our memorandum, we condemned the atrocities being inflicted upon the minorities in Bangladesh, be they Hindus or Christians. We urged the government to intensify its drive against illegal Bangladeshis in India, not Assamese, not Bengalis… Bangladeshis. It is because they are using resources meant for Indians,” he said, adding that this was a matter of “national security”.

Mohammed Gufraan, a local flower seller at the dargah, said that it is the first time that he has witnessed such a sharp decline in the number of Bangladeshi pilgrims. “Before this political ordeal between the two countries, many Bangladeshis used to come to the dargah. The police even came here [dargah] and to the basti to check documents; but they didn’t find any of these so-called ‘illegal immigrants’. They checked the streets and other places but found no one,” he said.

Gufraan accused politicians of instigating religious conflict. “This is the first time such an incident is happening, and it is completely wrong. Everyone here is equal. Dharm ke naam pe ladai karna bilkul galat hai. Sabko azaadi samvidhan ne di hai. Sab saath mein mohabbat se rehte hai. (Fighting over religion is completely wrong. The Constitution gives freedom to everyone. We all live together with love).”

Politicians’ polarising tactics

He criticised the focus on divisive politics that distract from real problems. “These politicians are privileged and are getting their children educated at top institutes but on the ground, they are distracting the country’s common people by making them fight over religion. Why is everyone focusing on who is Muslim and who is Hindu? Why is no one talking about those who are dying from starvation and deprivation?” he asked.

According to official documents accessed by Frontline, “in a major drive launched by South-East District to identify the illegal immigrants, including Bangladeshi, two illegal Bangladeshi immigrants have been arrested by the team.” Of 916 people checked throughout the year, eight were found to be illegal immigrants, six Bangladeshi. The arrested individuals were sent to the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) for deportation proceedings.

A senior police official from the Hazrat Nizamuddin station said that the ongoing drive targets footpaths rather than internal residential or basti areas. “This is not for immigrants, be they Rohingya or Bangladeshi, who have just arrived. This is for those who have been living in India undocumented for a long time in slums. Setting up a slum dwelling today is difficult. It was easier earlier,” he said.

As for the Dargah committee’s complaint, the official noted that no formal complaint has been filed, suggesting the matter was resolved unofficially between the parties.

These drives are being conducted in several areas of Delhi, including Shaheen Bagh, Jamia Nagar, Seelampur, and Kalindi Kunj. These neighbourhoods house a significant population of migrants from Bengal, many of who come from disadvantaged backgrounds and primarily work as daily wage labourers or run small businesses. The Madanpur Khadar area in Southeast Delhi’s Kalindi Kunj is home to a substantial Rohingya Muslim population. The ongoing crackdown on Bangladeshi immigrants has caused considerable distress among the Rohingya population. In several instances, Rohingya refugees have been falsely identified as Bangladeshi immigrants and have been asked to provide identification.

Sujoy, who runs a small shop outside his home in Madanpur Khadar, moved to Delhi in 2004 from the 24 Parganas district of West Bengal. Recently, he was asked by the police to identify himself and provide proof of identity. “The authorities were checking the identities and cards of all residents and noted my name. This is the first time this has happened to me,” he said. His locality primarily houses Bengali migrants.

Rupan Bibi, who lives in a shanty adjacent to Sujoy’s, was unaware of such a drive. “I came from Kolkata 20 years ago. I don’t know if any checking has taken place because I stay outside for work most of the time. Here, many Bengali Muslims live. Four of my sisters also live nearby,” she told Frontline.

Sabber Kyaw Min, founder and director of the Rohingya Human Rights Initiative, a local non-profit organisation formed by young Rohingya activists in New Delhi, highlighted the constant mental stress refugees endure. “Most of us have United Nations refugee cards. Still, the authorities sometimes reject the card and say we are living illegally.” Min added, “This [card] is legal documentation, yet the authorities say we are illegal immigrants or Bengali. We are not connected to Bangladesh; we do not belong to Bangladesh.”

Min said that most Rohingyas come from destitute backgrounds and are neglected by the government. “Most Rohingyas work as daily wage labourers or have small shops. These issues are only raised during elections, only for political benefit. Yahaan par bhi hamesha dar hota hai, kab deport kar dega? Kab detain kar dega? (We live under the constant threat of detention or deportation). We hold onto the hope that soon there will be peace in our country and we can return to Myanmar.”

The plight of Rohingya refugees remains largely absent from political discourse. “Earlier, the BJP said they would provide us with housing in Bakkarwal, but then they changed their statement. No one has helped the Rohingya community,” Sabber explained.

Centre’s misstep

Recently, Delhi Chief Minister Atishi wrote a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, criticising the Centre’s failure to protect the country’s borders, which she claimed had led to the infiltration of Rohingyas into Delhi. She referenced a social media post from 2022 by Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, in which he announced the shifting of Rohingya refugees to EWS flats in the city’s Bakkarwala area. Atishi alleged that the Centre had actively facilitated the settlement of Rohingya refugees in Delhi.

In 2022, the Ministry of Home Affairs had overruled Puri’s announcement, clarifying that no such housing plan had been cleared. Puri, in a social media post in December 15, also claimed that no Rohingya migrant had been provided government housing in Delhi. He further accused AAP of facilitating illegal settlements to gain electoral advantage by using Rohingyas as a vote bank.

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The issue of “voter deletion” has been simmering for the past few days with AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal submitting a 3,000-page dossier to the Chief Election Commissioner. In response, Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva submitted a 5,000-page document alleging the inclusion of Bangladeshis and Rohingyas in the voter list.

AAP’s Sanjay Singh raised the issue in the Rajya Sabha on December 17, calling the BJP’s alleged involvement in voter deletion an “election scam”. “They want to win the election by deceit,” he alleged. House Leader and BJP President J.P. Nadda reacted sharply, stating that the Constitution has given people the right to object to anyone’s name in the voter list.

Amidst this escalating debate on illegal immigrants, Delhi, which, according to the 2011 Census, has the highest share of inter-state migrants in its total population, has seen a surge of anxiety among its migrant communities. These crackdowns, often fuelled by political agendas, leave migrants caught in the crossfire of a debate that resurfaces primarily during the election season, causing fear and uncertainty for those striving to build a life in the city.