School students.
Credit: PTI photo
New Delhi: The Municipal Corporation of Delhi has directed its schools to take steps to identify illegal Bangladeshi migrant students during the admission process, and asked the health department to ensure that no birth certificates are issued to them.
The directions followed a virtual meeting chaired by the principal secretary (home), Delhi government, on December 12 along with senior officials of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).
In an order dated December 18, the MCD directed its departments to undertake specific preventive measures to address this issue, mandating submission of weekly action taken reports to the MCD deputy commissioner's office "every Friday by 3:30 pm".
"The education department is requested to take appropriate preventive measures to identify illegal Bangladeshi migrants while giving admission in municipal schools," the order said.
It also called for "proper identification and verification drives" to identify such children already enrolled in MCD schools.
Additionally, the order directed all zonal authorities to "take appropriate action to remove encroachments made by illegal Bangladeshi migrants", and instructed the public health department to ensure "no illegal Bangladeshi migrants be issued birth certificates".
It also mandated verification drives to review the previously issued certificates.
The directives came amid heightened concerns over illegal immigration raised by various political parties ahead of the Assembly elections in Delhi due in February.