There are reports that people, who are in embarrassment after not getting included in the NRC (National Register of Citizens), are migrating to Kerala in large numbers. Most of them see Kerala as a safe place to stay as the Kerala government have been vehemently opposing the Citizenship Rights Amendment Act (CAA) and NRC.
They are entering Kerala along with migrant labourers from other states who are coming to the State in search of labour works.
This has been reported by Intelligence agencies, including those in northern districts of Kerala.
While preparing the NRC in Assam, it was found that there are more two lakh illegal migrants in Assam. Most of them are from Bangladesh. Camps are being built in Assam to accommodate these illegal migrants. The land earmarked for this is 134 km away from Assam’s capital Guwahati. The fear from the rumour that these would function as detention camps is also another reason for their exodus to Kerala.
It is said that these people are coming to Kerala, resting their hopes on Kerala government’s stand against CAA, NRC and NPA. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s statement that no detention camp will be built in Kerala has been another luring factor. Some illegal migrants also fear whether they would be attacked in Assam.
Most of these people are migrating to Perumbavur (in Ernakulam), where most migrant labourers have settled. Some agents are also trying to bring these migrants to this place.
Meanwhile, in Karnataka’s Kodagu district the other day, police checked the ID proof of thousands of plantation workers, following the complaint that illegal Bangladeshi migrants have sneaked into the plantation as Assamese labourers. The plantation owners were also instructed to send back workers who didn’t have valid ID proofs, triggering yet another controversy. But, the police later clarified that the checking of documents was done for security reasons.
This was also another reason for illegal migrants to prefer Kerala to other states that favour CAA and NCR.
