Bengaluru Has A Big Illegal Immigrant Problem — It Is Time To Act

Bengaluru's problem of housing illegal immigrants is a ticking time bomb. 

Back in the day, the city faced bomb blasts frequently. Be it the 2014 bombing at Church Street or the 2010 Chinnaswamy Stadium blasts, Bengaluru grappled with one security threat after another, with sleeper cells having links with terror organisations in the subcontinent and beyond.

While the last few years have seen relative peace, once again, all is not well in the city.

In recent years, the city has become a hotbed for illegal immigrants from countries like Myanmar and Bangladesh, with some reports suggesting the presence of thousands of illegal immigrants residing in the city with no proper documentation or identification to show.

Not only does this strain the city's resources, but it also poses a significant security threat, as evidenced by the increasing number of radical elements and sleeper cells being captured by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and other authorities in the city.

The issue of illegal immigration in Bengaluru is not just a demographic concern but a critical national security challenge. Several operations by the NIA and other intelligence agencies have revealed that the city is home to sleeper cells, often with ties to international terror networks.

These cells remain dormant, blending into the local population until they are activated to carry out terror activities.

One of the most striking examples of this was the 2024 Rameshwaram Café blast case. The investigation led authorities not just to the culprits within Bengaluru but also traced their location to Bengal, highlighting the intricate network of radicalised elements operating across states.

The individuals involved were later found to have connections to Bangladesh-based terror groups, underscoring the role illegal immigrants can play in facilitating such threats.

In 2022, a joint operation by the NIA and Bengaluru Police led to the arrest of several individuals from Myanmar who were found to be conspiring against the city by planning several attacks.

Bengaluru does not just attract the best of the skilled workers in the country; because of its accommodative nature, it ends up becoming a preferred destination for illegal immigrants who come in search of economic opportunities.

During the chief ministership of Basavaraj Bommai of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the debate around the Citizen Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) ignited the spark, and the agencies began cracking down on illegal settlements in the city.

However, because of appeasement politics, efforts in this direction have been affected from time to time. Secular governments, fearing backlash from certain voter segments, have shown reluctance to address the issue.

This is not just shortsighted, but dangerous.

BJP leaders have frequently raised the issue, calling for stricter enforcement of immigration laws. This includes Bengaluru South Member of Parliament Tejasvi Surya, who got into a controversy for once calling the city a 'hub of terror activities'.

An ultra-puritanical form of Salafism has emerged in recent years, exposing their external linkages during recent riots such as the one in DJ Halli.

Not too far away from Bannerughatta Road, the Al-Hind Charitable Trust has been allegedly funding terrorism on Indian soil. They have been recruiting youth to carry out violent jihad against the country for the Islamic State and are used as misnomers by Wahabi or Salafi organisations.

The NIA had also arrested three terrorists belonging to the Bangladeshi radical outfit Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen's module in the state. The agency recovered hand grenades and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) — part of a larger plan to bomb several locations in Karnataka.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, during a visit to Bengaluru in 2020, emphasised the need for an NRC to identify and deport illegal immigrants, calling them a "threat to national security".

Karnataka’s Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah, has also acknowledged the problem but has stopped short of endorsing the NRC.

While there may be ideological differences on how to handle illegal immigration, the security implications make it imperative for all political parties to prioritise the identification and deportation of undocumented individuals.

A failure to do so could have catastrophic consequences, as sleeper cells continue to operate under the radar, waiting for the right moment to strike.

While precise numbers are hard to come by, conservative estimates suggest that there could be as many as 40,000 illegal immigrants from Bangladesh alone residing in Bengaluru.

Many of these individuals have managed to obtain fake identity documents, further complicating efforts to track them down. The influx of Rohingya refugees from Myanmar has also added to the challenge, with several thousand reportedly living in makeshift settlements around the city.

The Karnataka State Intelligence Department has been actively monitoring these populations, but their efforts are often hampered by a lack of resources and the sheer scale of the problem.

Intelligence officials often complain that the problem is not just limited to identifying the illegal immigrants but also proving their status in court — a rather cumbersome process.

Now, the time has come to move beyond political rhetoric and take concrete action to secure Bengaluru’s future.

The identification, detention, and deportation of illegal immigrants must be pursued with the urgency and seriousness that the situation demands. Anything less would be a disservice to the people of Bengaluru and the nation.