The Voice of the People Party (VPP) has said the Meghalaya government, unlike neighbouring Assam, lacks credible data on the number of illegal migrants in the State.
The opposition party demanded a “foolproof mechanism” to detect and deport them.
“As of now, there is no proper record; there is no estimate that the government has come out with, unlike in Assam,” VPP chief Ardent M Basaiawmoit said.
Citing figures placed by the Assam government, he claimed there has been a consistent rising trend in illegal immigrants in the neighbouring state, while in Meghalaya, there is no such exercise that the government has carried out.
“Simultaneously, the government has to carry out a foolproof exercise to detect these illegal immigrants. They should not be included in the census; they should be detected and deported,” the VPP legislator said.
He also warned that enforcement measures in Assam could have spillover effects in Meghalaya.