UP to set up detention centres in every district to expel illegal migrants

Each centre will have the capacity to hold 15,000 people

(A detention centre is a facility where arrested infiltrators are kept for a fixed period.)

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) – The Uttar Pradesh government has launched a large-scale operation to identify Bangladeshi and Rohingya infiltrators, keep them temporarily in detention centres, and subsequently expel them from India. As per Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s orders, work has begun to establish such centres in every district of the state. Currently, old and unused buildings are being repurposed for this. Simultaneously, construction of new centres has also begun. These new centres will have the capacity to house 15,000 people and will be equipped with highly advanced technology.

Meanwhile, the government has also begun a statewide campaign to identify infiltrators. Police and administration teams are visiting every village to verify people. During this process, a special deep audit of voter lists is also being carried out. Anyone unable to produce documents proving Indian citizenship is being taken to these detention centres.

What will the detention centres be like?

According to the draft model design, the centres will include biometric identification systems, facial recognition technology, fingerprint verification, and uninterrupted CCTV surveillance. There will be a three-layer security system at the entry point, and only authorised individuals will be allowed to enter with approval from the control room. The proposed model shows a total capacity of 15,000 individuals. Though men and women will be housed in the same complex, surveillance and security arrangements will be separate. The plan includes deployment of at least 50 central security personnel, an advanced control room, and controlled entry gates. The State Government has sent this model to the Home Department, instructing them to conduct a thorough review of all security aspects. If the plan meets security standards, similar centres will be established in all 17 municipal corporations of the state. In areas with higher infiltration levels, more than one centre may be built.

Editorial Perspective

The plan to build centres with such large capacities indicates how many illegal intruders might be present in the state! If this is the situation in Uttar Pradesh, other states are unlikely to be any different; however, it is shameful that other states do not appear to be taking similar action.