Letters: Illegal immigrant risks

With reference to Sukumar Mukhopadhyay's letter "Left out" (May 12), it is relevant to add that even Bangladesh discourages illegal immigration. When the Rogingyas, the persecuted Muslim minority in Myanmar, sought refuge in Bangladesh, they were sent back. So it is difficult to understand why it is wrong for India to take steps to discourage illegal immigration. Unlike other nations that have stringent regulations, it is very easy to obtain legal documents, which are often denied to bonafide citizens. Fear that these foreigners will take away jobs working for low wages, fear that terrorists will use this to enter the country, get access to sensitive information or help drug and fake currency cartels are all realities. The problem is no longer about whether we're going to pull them up to our level. It's about whether or not they're going to pull us down to their level.

H N Ramakrishna Novi, Michigan

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