Why is Bangladesh’s verification needed to deport undocumented migrants: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Union government why it needed Dhaka to verify the identity of undocumented Bangladeshi migrants before deporting them, Live Law reported.

A bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan was hearing a 2013 petition concerning undocumented immigrants being held indefinitely in “correctional homes” in West Bengal after serving sentences under the Foreigners Act.

The Act allows the Union government to regulate the entry, presence and departure of foreigners.

“[When an immigrant is] apprehended, put to trial, and is convicted, what is the charge against him?” Pardiwala was quoted as saying. “That you are an illegal immigrant. You are not entitled to stay in this country without any valid passport or any other document.”

He added: “Once this comes, not challenged, not stayed by any superior court, then what is the idea in asking the neighbouring country to tell this country about his nationality and verification?”

The court also criticised the West Bengal government for not having correctional homes or detention centres, causing undocumented migrants to stay in prison even after serving their sentences.

“Even after a person is convicted, he undergoes the entire sentence, you keep him in jail?” the court asked. “How can you do that? Is the state so poor that it does not have a correctional…

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