Immigration and Internal Security: Global Trends and Lessons for Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Abstract

Migrations have been a universal phenomenon since the dawn of human civilization. The immigrations and emigrations have shaped the historical dynamics of almost all the major nations of the world and particularly those ones who owe their genesis and have thriven due   to the process of migration. In the contemporary times the issue of migration has elicited reactions from subtle to knee jerk from its sympathizers as well as detractors, the world over. The gravity of migration issue in the 21^st century cannot be underestimated especially in the light of happenings in west Asia and north Africa with an unprecedented influx of masses from the war ravaged countries of the region to safer havens in Europe and to lesser extent, America. In the Indian context, the sub-continental drifts from the neighbouring countries particularly Bangladesh and Myanmar towards India have long created tensions in the border regions, both between the countries as well the communities. The violence based on ethnic nationalism has often been a logical corollary of such influx in India’s north eastern states.  Narrowing down to Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the strategic bio-diverse sentinel of India with window to the south east Asia, the unsolicited and unchecked immigrations have become serious security as well as socio-economic threat. The menace could attain an altogether different dimension because of the geographical remoteness of these Islands from the mainland India and their proximity to the nations of south east Asia.  A concrete immigration policy, hence, needs to be in place so as to differentiate between the infiltrators and the asylum seekers without jeopardizing the fragility of the Islands along with the humanitarian perspective.

Keywords: Andaman and Nicobar Islands, immigration, migration, security, terrorism, refugees, policy.