JNU Report Highlights Impact of Illegal Immigration from Bangladesh, Myanmar on Delhi's Demographics and Politics

​​​​​​​The 114-page study titled 'Illegal Immigrants to Delhi: Analysing Socio-economic and Political Consequences' shows that political patronage has played a major role in providing steady inflow of undocumented migrants from Bangladesh and Myanmar, who are mostly the Rohingya refugees.

According to a new report by Jawaharlal Nehru University, illegal migration from Bangladesh and Myanmar has had an important impact on the socio-political, economic, and demographic fabric of Delhi-NCR.

The 114-page study titled 'Illegal Immigrants to Delhi: Analysing Socio-economic and Political Consequences' shows that political patronage has played a major role in providing steady inflow of undocumented migrants from Bangladesh and Myanmar, who are mostly the Rohingya refugees.

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The study reports that this illegal immigration has caused a "marked upsurge in the Muslim population" in the region and has hence gone further to change the social and political dynamics of the city. The review argues that the city's economy and resources are strained because of the presence of these migrants.

This is particularly so in the area of job competition in low wage sectors, including construction and domestic work, which migrant workers have depressed wages, while their exclusion from the tax system places additional burdens on the legitimate workforce.

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The report further notes the significant stress on public infrastructure in Delhi with regard to health, education, water, and electricity. Growth of unapproved settlements has further led to crammed neighbourhoods and unorganised urban development, thereby aggravating environmental degradations.

"Illegal immigration to Delhi has significantly altered the city's demographic landscape, with a large influx of migrants from neighboring countries like Bangladesh and Myanmar. These migrants often settle in overcrowded neighborhoods such as Seelampur, Jamia Nagar, Zakir Nagar, Sultanpuri, Mustafabad, Jafrabad, Dwarka, Govindpuri, and many more, where they strain resources and disrupt local social cohesion," the report states.

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Common brokers and agents help them cross the border for a fee, providing them with false identification documents. Such practice undermines legal systems and electoral integrity; most of these migrants are able to obtain false voter registration.

"The environmental impact of migrant settlements includes unregulated waste disposal, which contributes to pollution and public health hazards. Migrants' involvement in informal housing markets has led to the proliferation of unsafe and unauthorised housing, posing risks to both residents and the environment," said the report.

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Illegal immigration has contributed to the proliferation of criminal networks, which exploit vulnerable migrants for activities such as smuggling and trafficking, it added.

As per the report, political patronage has played a crucial role in enabling migration. “Intelligence reports suggest that local political leaders in West Bengal have provided citizenship documents to migrants, thereby creating a captive vote bank.”

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It also explained that efforts to deport illegal immigrants are often delayed by bureaucratic challenges and the lack of cooperation from migrants’ home countries, and the approach of Delhi’s national Capital territory.

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