India is in the middle of a process to revoke the citizenship of over four million people, most of whom are Muslim. These immigrants could soon be facing deportation.
Many speculated that India planned to deport Muslim immigrants following the release of the National Register of Citizens. The National Register of Citizens was written by Indian officials, and the document indicates that 28.9 million of the nation’s current residents are citizens. Millions of citizens are not included in the list, many of which are located in the state of Assam.
Assam borders Bangladesh, and it is believed that most of the immigrants who reside in the state crossed the border during India’s war with Pakistan in the 1970s. The influx of Bangladeshi citizens at the time was massive, and over ten million undocumented immigrants entered India. This caused a strong amount of backlash from locals.
While spokespeople for the Indian government have made it clear that no immigrant will face immediate deportation or arrest, many still fear for their futures. Some individuals were not included on the list, but these individuals’ families were. As such, many people fear that they will be separated from their families.
The complete draft of the National Register of Citizens was released online. However, many immigrants live in villages that do not have Internet access, and as such, they had to travel to nearby government offices to learn of their status. They were surprised to see their applications did not go through, and they argue that they provided all of the necessary documentation.
The National Register of Citizens was supported by the ruling nationalist party led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who stated they his party is currently attempting to free the country of “illegal foreigners.” For decades, citizens in Assam have protested against immigrants, arguing that they have used up limited resources and have limited job opportunities for locals. These tensions resulted in violent protests against immigrants during the 1980s.
Indian National Congress party member Ripun Bora told RushHourDaily:
They are trying to isolate Muslims, the number that has come out is high and it is surprising. We are going to fight it out.”
Featured Image via Wikimedia Commons
