The chief ministers of Meghalaya and Nagaland on Thursday held review meetings with senior officials and deputy commissioners (DC) to prevent the potential influx of illegal immigrants into their respective states due to the ongoing eviction drives in neighbouring Assam.

Meghalaya became the third state to beef up vigil along its borders after Nagaland and Manipur to prevent eviction-induced influx. The Manipur government did not mention the Assam evictions for the possible influx of illegal immigrants into the state, instead it cited turmoil in neighbouring countries as the trigger.

After the review meeting on Thursday, Meghalaya chief minister Conrad Sangma posted on X: “In light of the eviction drive for illegal immigrants by the government of Assam, a meeting was convened with all deputy commissioners to strengthen vigilance and security along the state’s border areas adjoining Assam.”

“We are coordinating with district officials, local heads, NGOs and Village Defence Parties (VDP) at the village level to ensure no movement and infiltration takes place in the state, especially in vulnerable areas,” Sangma said.

Sangma’s meeting came a day after the state’s home (political) department issued an advisory to all deputy commissioners to remain vigilant in view of the “ongoing eviction drive against illegal immigrants undertaken by the government of Assam and to prevent possible influx of the displaced individuals to the state as a consequence”. They were directed to take necessary measures to check potential influx and maintain law and order.

Influx remains a sensitive issue in Meghalaya. Several groups are piling pressure on the state government to ensure the implementation of the Inner Line Permit (ILP), a travel document required by outsiders to visit protected areas in the Northeast.

In a video shared with the media by the Chief Minister’s Office, Sangma said the review meeting involved the chief secretary, director-general of police, officials from the home and political departments besides all the DCs “to discuss the overall effect of the recent eviction drive that has taken place in the state of Assam...”

Sangma said the overall interaction “is to ensure that there is no infiltration or movement” into Meghalaya because of the eviction taking place in Assam.

Meghalaya, which has 12 districts, shares a 884.9km-long border with Assam. Kamrup (Metro), Kamrup, Morigaon, West Karbi Anglong, Dima Hasao, Goalpara, South Salmara-Mankachar and Dhubri are the Assam districts that share border with Meghalaya.

Nagaland meet

The day also saw Nagaland chief minister, Dr Neiphiu Rio, convene a high-level meeting on Thursday at the Chief Minister’s Residential Complex in Kohima with the chief secretary, the DGP and other senior government and police officials “to review and strengthen vigilance mechanisms along the Assam-Nagaland border”

A government statement issued late on Thursday evening said Rio directed the chief secretary and the DGP “to enhance round-the-clock surveillance and initiate all preventive and proactive measures to detect and deport any potential influx of illegal immigrants” besides “deployment of additional State Armed Police Forces in border areas adjoining Assam”.

The Assam government is set to carry out an eviction drive at Uriamghat in Golghat district bordering Nagaland.