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Move to curb illegal entry of foreigners

Our Bureau

NEW DELHI, Sept. 12

THE Law Commission of India, headed by Mr Justice B.P. Jeevan Reddy, has recommended measures for amending the Foreigners Act, 1946, to curb the menace of illegal entry by foreigners from neighbouring countries into India.

The commission, in its 175th report, has said that the problem of illegal migration from neighbouring countries has to be tackled seriously by providing a machinery for effective and speedy detection of illegal entrants. The function of determining wheth er a person is an illegal entrant or not is proposed to be entrusted to the Immigration Officers whose orders shall be appealable, to be heard and decided by an Immigration Tribunal, manned by a person who is or has been a district judge or an additional district judge.

The matters will be decided by these functionaries according to the principles of natural justice. Besides, facilitation centres have been proposed to be provided for detaining the foreigners pending the determination of their status and pending their de portation.

It has also recommended that the offences under the Foreigners Act, 1946 should be tried by the Immigration Court which would be court of district and sessions judge to be specified by the appropriate Government in each district.