Gujarat Police Cracks Down on Illegal Bangladeshi Migrants in Ahmedabad

In recent months, the police in Ahmedabad have been collecting and verifying the identity papers of thousands of migrant workers engaged in jewellery making and stone embroidery work. The move is aimed at identifying and deporting Bangladeshi nationals who have crossed the border into India and are living and working in the city. According to the Samast Bengali Samaj Association, a workers' collective, nearly 1.5 lakh Bengali migrants are currently engaged in the industry, with around 10,000 workers employed in the Sahajanand Complex alone.

Key Takeaways:

• The Gujarat police have been conducting verification drives in the city since May, targeting migrant workers in the jewellery making and stone embroidery sectors.
• The police have collected and verified the identity papers of thousands of workers, including Aadhaar cards and voter IDs, from units at KT Plaza and Sahajanand Complex in Ahmedabad's Walled City.
• Around 1.5 lakh Bengali migrants are currently engaged in the gold, silver, and imitation jewellery making units in the city, besides stone embroidery work in the garment sector.
• The verification drives were launched in response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, and have resulted in the detention of 890 people, with 209 confirmed as Bangladeshis nationals.
• The police have also conducted raids in the Chandola lake area, where 890 people were detained, with 209 confirmed as Bangladeshis nationals.
• The Samast Bengali Samaj Association has stated that the Bengali workers have not faced any harassment after the verification drive, and the police have confirmed that no illegal immigrants were found at the units in the Walled City.
• The police have been working in coordination with the Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) to identify and deport illegal immigrants.
• Expert Sujeet Banerjee stated that the sudden increase in prices can cause a business to slow down, and this is not the only issue at hand.

Statistics:

• Nearly 1.5 lakh Bengali migrants are currently engaged in gold, silver, and imitation jewellery making units in Ahmedabad.
• Around 10,000 workers are employed in the Sahajanand Complex alone.
• 890 people were detained in the Chandola lake area, with 209 confirmed as Bangladeshis nationals.
• The police have been working for over a month to verify the identities of migrant workers in the city.

Sources:

• The Indian Express
• Samast Bengali Samaj Association