UP Plans Detention Centres For Illegal Immigrants
NEW DELHI: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has instructed all district magistrates in the state to take swift and stringent action against illegal immigrants. An official statement on Saturday stressed that law and order, national security and social harmony are top priorities and that any form of illegal activity will not be tolerated.
“The Prime Minister instructed each regional administration to identify illegal immigrants residing within their jurisdiction and take action in accordance with the rules,” the statement said.
He added that Adityanath also ordered the establishment of temporary detention centers in every district to house infiltrators. According to the summary, foreign illegal immigrants will be kept in these centers until the verification process is completed.
The Prime Minister also stated that all illegal immigrants held in detention centers will be deported to their countries of origin according to established procedures.
Uttar Pradesh shares an open border with Nepal and allows free movement of citizens of both countries, but controls are also in place for people of other nationalities. The directive comes as the Election Commission of India is undertaking a nationwide Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The BJP had made the issue of ghuspaithiya (infiltrators) a major campaign issue in the recently concluded Bihar Assembly elections, in which the NDA returned to power with a huge majority.
The SIR exercise is being conducted in 12 states and Union Territories, including Uttar Pradesh. The final voter rolls will be published on February 7, 2026.
Besides UP, voter lists are being revised in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.
According to the Election Commission’s schedule, printing and training were completed between October 28 and November 3, 2026. The Count Phase took place between November 4 and December 4. Draft lists will be published on December 9, followed by the claims and objection period from December 9 to January 8, 2026. The Notification Phase for hearing and verification will take place from December 9 to January 31, 2026, with final lists to be published on February 7. 2026.
Opposition parties have strongly opposed the SIR process, claiming that it is aimed at removing voters from underprivileged communities from the electoral rolls. Many parties approached the Supreme Court challenging the continuing practice in states and Union Territories.
