HT Bureau
NAMSAI, July 8: The Arunachal Pradesh State Government held a high-level meeting with the All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU) to address the pressing issue of illegal immigration in the state.
The meeting, chaired by Home and Border Affairs Minister Mama Natung, focused on the detection and deportation of illegal immigrants, particularly in the context of recent directives from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.
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According to an official statement, AAPSU President Dozi Tana Tara, who participated in the meeting, told reporters that the discussions were of “urgent and serious importance” given the rising concerns across the region and country over undocumented migrants.
The issue has long been a matter of contention in Arunachal Pradesh, especially with regard to the Chakma and Hajong refugee populations.
Tara noted that the session saw participation from senior officials across departments, including Chief Secretary Manish Kumar Gupta, Home Minister’s Advisor and MLA Mutchu Mithi, representatives from the Home and Border Affairs Departments, the state police headquarters, various Deputy Commissioners, and AAPSU leaders.
According to Tara, the meeting included detailed presentations and inputs from officials on ground-level data and inter-departmental coordination concerning the ongoing exercise of identifying and deporting illegal immigrants.
While he acknowledged that formal minutes of the meeting had yet to be finalised, he shared that approximately 4,000 individuals have already been deported from Arunachal Pradesh.
He stated that the Chakma and Hajong refugee populations, many of whom have resided in the state for decades, remain at the center of a complex debate involving alleged land encroachment and law-and-order challenges.
These communities have frequently been at odds with indigenous tribal groups, who argue that their presence undermines the state’s demographic balance and constitutional safeguards.
The AAPSU president said the meeting was part of the union’s long-standing campaign to press the government to take decisive action on the issue.
“We have taken up the matter in light of the Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s instructions to various states regarding detection and deportation of illegal immigrants,” Tara said.
Reiterating AAPSU’s commitment to its cause, Tara asserted that the organisation would continue to pursue the matter both with the state government and relevant central stakeholders.
He added that a follow-up statement would be issued once the minutes of the meeting are officially documented.
While no new policy announcement was made at the meeting, the interaction marks a significant reaffirmation of the state government’s and AAPSU’s shared concern over illegal immigration, which continues to shape political and social discourse in Arunachal Pradesh.
