While the country marches an angry protest over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC), Karnataka has already opened its first detention center for illegal immigrants near Nelamangala, about 40 km from states capital.
The first immigrants’ detention center
The union government projects to place detention centers in all states before injecting the NRC and Citizenship bill. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has already uncovered plans for introducing NRC across the country by 2024.
The officials have said that the new center established in Nelamangala will keep immigrants who have either overstayed illegally or infiltrated into the country. They will be held at the center until they are deported to their respective countries.
The detention center is a converted building which was a hostel building owned by a social welfare department. The place has six rooms, a kitchen, and a security room, and it can accommodate up to 24 people. Alongside other facilities, the place has two watchtowers that have been built and the compound wall is secured with spiked wire.
More such centers
The authorities had planned to open the center in January but advanced it reportedly following a direction from the Union Government. However, no illegal immigrants have been detained until now.
RS Peddappaiah commissioner, social welfare department, told. “The Foreign Regional Registration Office identifies illegal immigrants and sends them to the detention center. We are ready to house them with the necessary infrastructure and staff.”
In November, the state government had told the Karnataka HC that it had identified 35 temporary detention centers in all districts of the state to house illegal immigrants.
