Shillong: Illegal infiltration from Bangladesh is a very very serious threat to the Northeast and the infiltrators were even influencing elections in some parts of the country, Meghalaya Chief Minister Donkupar Roy said today.

"When these illegal migrants are apprehended by security agencies, some organizations tend to protest branding the migrants as genuine Indian citizens," he said taking a dig at some organisations supporting immigrants at a function here.

"It is unfortunate, I have personal experience of this," he said adding the issue cannot be handled by the government machinery alone.

"While the government needs to be firm, the people also have to cooperate to check the menace," Roy said and urged the BSF and residents of border areas to work hand in hand to check infiltration as in Meghalaya border it is easy to differentiate between a migrant and a local due to typical characteristic looks.

The chief minister favoured opening of border trade. "The border haats can be opened in places belonging to India that lie outside the border fencing. The trade would help check infiltration," he said.
Source : PTI