No accurate data on exact number of illegal immigrants: govt tells LS

The Central government does not have an accurate data on the exact number of illegal immigrants living in the country, Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said on Tuesday.

Rai said some illegal migrants were able to sneak into India in a clandestine and surreptitious manner, mainly due to difficult mountainous and riverine terrain in parts along the international borders.

There is no accurate central data regarding exact number of such illegal immigrants, he said replying to a written question.

The minister said the central government is committed to ensure that the demographic and social structure of the country is not changed due to illegal immigration.

"As per the Constitutional scheme, India, as a sovereign nation, has the first and foremost constitutional duty and obligation towards its citizens to ensure that demographic and social structure of the country is not changed to their detriment and resources of the nation are utilised to fulfil the fundamental rights of Indian citizens and are not diverted to the detriment of citizens of India due to influx of illegal immigrants into the territory of India," he said.