Illegal immigration took centre stage on the second day of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly’s budget session, 2026, as Leader of the Opposition Mukul Sangma moved a strongly worded resolution urging the state government to act on a law that has been on the books for nearly a decade but remains largely unimplemented. At the heart of the resolution is the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act (MRSSA), 2016 — legislation designed to regulate the entry, exit and stay of people from outside the state. Despite the law providing a comprehensive legal framework, and the state having already identified land parcels for entry-exit points and facilitation centres along inter-state borders, the infrastructure needed to make it work has never been built.
Sangma’s resolution also took a pointed dig at the Centre, noting that the government of India has “not shown any positive response to implement the Inner Line Permit (ILP) in the state till date” — this, despite the assembly having previously passed a resolution pressing New Delhi to enforce the ILP under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873. The resolution calls on the government to “complete the whole process of establishment of the facilitation centre(s) at the identified entry-exit points with proper guidelines and to put in place all other regulatory measures as per the mandate of MRSSA 2016.”
Illegal immigration and the uncontrolled influx of outsiders have long been a sensitive issue in Meghalaya, with political parties and community stakeholders repeatedly demanding stronger protective measures for the state’s indigenous population. A second resolution, moved by MLA Adelbert Nongrum, sought budget funds for a modern event venue near Shillong. Both resolutions are expected to be debated further during the ongoing session.