Shillong Aug 30: The Hynñiewtrep Youth Council (HYC) on Thursday met Deputy Chief Minister, Prestone Tynsong and demanded that the spirit of Inner Line Permit and provisions of residential permit be incorporated into the MRSSA (Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act), 2016 to check influx and illegal immigration in the state.

The HYC also asked the state government to introduce and passed an official resolution in the State Assembly against the proposed amendment to the Citizenship Act, 1955.

The Centre wanted to get the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 passed in Parliament in order to change the definition of illegal migrants. The Bill seeks to amend the Citizenship Act, 1955 to provide citizenship to illegal migrants, from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan, who are of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi or Christian extraction.

The Bill also seeks to reduce the requirement of 11 years of continuous stay in the country to six years for obtaining citizenship by naturalization.

After meeting the Deputy Chief Minister, HYC president Robertjune Kharjahrin told reporters that an additional memorandum was submitted to the chief minister Conrad K Sangma on August 9, and the same was also submitted to the Deputy Chief Minister.

“The state government had taken a decision in the Cabinet to oppose the Citizenship Amendment Bill. But this is not enough and an official resolution should be passed in the House to oppose the move of the Centre to push for passing of the Citizenship Amendment Bill,” Kharjahrin said.

The State government had earlier wanted to revisit the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act, 2016 with an aim to further strengthen it and make it more effective in tackling the problem of influx and illegal immigration in the state.

Kharjahrin said that suggestions were given to the state government to legislate a law by incorporating all the legal provisions within the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulations Act, 1873 relating to the ILP.

The HYC suggested that a law by the name “Meghalaya Regulation for entry and safety of visitors Act” be legislated or it the state government can amend the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act, 2016 and its rules.

According to the Council, by amending the Act and its Rules, the state will have two permit systems namely the Inner Line Permit system and the Residential Permit system.

It further suggested that the name of the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act, 2016 be changed to “The Meghalaya Visitors and Residents’ Safety and Security Act, 2016” or “The Meghalaya Regulations for Safety and Security of Visitors and Residents Acts, 2016”.

Issuing of entry permit to visitors which would be valid up to 179 days (and can be renewed), transit permit to passengers travelling from one state to another through Meghalaya with a validity of 48 hours, tourist permit for not more than 7 days was also suggested by the HYC.

The HYC further demanded from the state government to speed up the implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) to flush out illegal immigrants from the state.

“The government should pass an official resolution in the State Assembly to urge the Centre to extend section 6-A of the Citizenship Act, 1955 and the Citizenship (registration of citizens and Issue of National Identity cards) Rule, 2003 (as Amended) to the state of Meghalaya on the ground that Meghalaya shares a long boundary, fenced and unfenced, with Bangladesh,” Kharjahrin said.

He said that a lot of Bangladeshi immigrants entered and settled in the state especially before and after 1971 and Meghalaya is affected by the problem of immigration from Bangladesh and other neighboring countries.

The Deputy Chief Minister has assured the HYC delegation that the law department would be asked to examine all suggestions made by the Council after which the state government would invite for discussion on the issue.