New Delhi: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has said that more than 20 non-notified marine immigration check posts are functioning in violation of The Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920 and the rules made there under. The MHA has told a Parliamentary Committee that in such locations, the local police try to accommodate the crew of the ship by signing on/embarkation or signing off/disembarkation with their limited offline information and 39 virtually no physical infrastructure.
The disclosure was made in the 242nd Demands for Grants report of the Home Ministry that was tabled in the Rajya Sabha on March 17. The revelation assumes significance following the fact that the smuggling of drugs through seaports has become a major concern for security agencies. Most notably, around 2988 kg of heroin was brought to India through Gujarat's Mundra Port in 2021.
“This is a potential security hazard. It may lead to immigration clearance of passengers/crews, who are a security risk. Legally speaking, immigration functions cannot be carried out at these seaports since neither have they been notified as ICP nor do they have the requisite technological and physical infrastructure to carry out a secure and safe immigration process. They are offline and not connected to the centralized immigration system which is served by the backend data centre located in Delhi,” the MHA said.
Therefore, the MHA has been taking up the matter including with State Government Authorities and Local Port Authorities to ensure that immigration at all seaports becomes not only business-friendly but also safe and secure for the country, the committee was informed.
