As per an exclusive report by Jagran, Rohingyas are now using Punjab as a new transit route to Pakistan on fearing detention in Jammu & Kashmir. This has raised law and order issues in Punjab causing a major worry to security and intelligence agencies. Police and administration of border districts like Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Ferozepur, and Fazilka have been asked to monitor the situation and send regular reports.
The situation at present is especially worrisome due to the fact that apart from Rohingyas, there are also Bangladeshi illegal immigrants working in the areas making it difficult to identify and segregate. It has been reported that some Rohingyas have found work in slaughter houses and meat processing units located in Dera Bassi and Lalru districts, as per the Jagran report. New directives have been released by the Ministry of Home Affairs to keep a close watch on the movements of Rohingyas as some are in touch with anti-national elements.
As per sources, a report submitted by intelligence agencies revealed that the villages of Dera Bassi and Lalru have around 60-70 Rohingya families (200-250 people). It has come to light that most stay in these villages for a while and then migrate to places like Jalandhar and Jammu.
The Jagran report quotes an intelligence officer saying that it is possible these Rohingyas are using Punjab as a route to enter into Pakistan.
The Jagran report says that as authorities have started a detention drive in Jammu, many Rohingyas may have come to Punjab. Authorities have issued an alert to border districts in Punjab, asking them to closely monitor if the Rohingyas are trying to cross the border into Pakistan.
Some reports have claimed that many of the Rohingyas may have managed to obtain Indian identity documents while some carry identity cards provided by the United Nations High Commission of Refugees. Security agencies have traced these Rohingyas to villages like Khedi Gujran and Samgauli which are around Dera Bassi and Lalru, where they work as daily wagers at meat processing plants. An additional task of re-examining their identity cards has been set in motion.
Considering the sensitivity of the matter, the police officials have refused to comment on the matter. Meanwhile, Prashant Bhushan has filed a petition in SC on behalf of illegal Rohingya immigrants to stop their immigration from Jammu.