Fluctuating population demographics worsened by illegal immigration pose serious threat to overall security and stability

X: @prashanthamine

Mumbai: Fluctuating population demographics of late, have been made worse by years of unchecked illegal immigration that is now posing a serious threat to overall security, economy and social stability. Reports and data analytics paint a grim alarming picture of declining population, which is leading to import of cheap labour that is often illegal and poses a threat.

Over the weekend, the World Health Organization (WHO) released a report on rising Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR). Despite the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led Central Government’s tagline “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao” aimed at “Save the Girl Child”, the WHO report states that the number of women dying during pregnancy in 2020 was 24,000 that was 8.3%, putting India in the category of African countries like Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Ethiopia.

The report points towards lack of healthcare facilities, access to healthcare facilities is denied due to various factors, often other poor infrastructure facilities, societal prejudices are some of the reasons behind this alarming scenario. These factors have now contributed to declining fertility rate that correspondingly has led to declining population. Although the working population has grown in numbers, the increase in the population of 60 plus is a worrying sign.

Even a progressive state like Maharashtra has seen a steady decline in the sex ratio of females per 1000 males which was 936 in 1961, has declined to 929 by 2023-24. The population growth rate of Maharashtra which was 11% in 2011-2015 is set to decline to 7.7% in 2021-2015, will further decline to 6.3% in 2026-2030 and in 2031-2035 will even further decline to 4.9%.

One is reminded of the mass illegal abortions conducted by Dr Sudam Munde and his wife Dr Saraswati Munde in Parli-Vaijanath of Beed district of Maharashtra in May 2012. Although abortions have been banned a long time ago, the underlying rationale behind couples taking the risk, is that of extreme rural poverty, uneconomic agriculture and practice of dowry. Uprooting these societal prejudices is still a challenge.

Europe and most of the Western world has been facing similar problems arising out of declining population, rising Maternal Mortality Rates (MMR) and lower fertility rates for quite some time now. Development has brought in its fair share of societal problems like infertility, delayed marriages, skewed development and ever changing societal norms.

The declining populations in some European countries has meant that these countries are forced to open their doors to cheap immigrant labour from Asia and Africa. This has led to controversial “Grooming Gangs” in the United Kingdom and racial attacks in other European countries between native Whites and immigrant populations from Asia.

The problem has been only aggravated by the infiltration of illegal immigrants into the USA, UK and the Western world. Be it the menace of these armed Mexican and Latino gangs in the US, or the Grooming Gangs in the UK, is now forcing world leaders like US President Donald Trump to contemplate imposing Visa ban on people coming from Afghanistan and Pakistan. President Trump has now once again revived his plans to seal the Mexican border. India too has now begun to fence its international border with Bangladesh in a bid to stop the influx of illegal Bangladeshi’s and Rohingya’s.

Question is not about the influx of immigrants forced out of war zones or areas of conflicts, it is the influx of illegal immigrants, often victims of human trafficking, or those fleeing the long arm of the law in their home country.

There is vast difference in the definition of Refugees as per the 1951 UN Refugee Convention, Asylum seekers and illegal immigrants or criminals fleeing the law in their native country. The Supreme Court of India (SCI) on February 17 directed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to give admission to Rohingya children in its schools.

A lot of hue and cry was raised when the Trump administration deported illegal Indian immigrants in chains from the US. Those who tried to illegally cross into the US were put in detention centers. They were not given the same kind of treatment as the SCI directed the MCD to give to the Rohingya children.

It is not just that the US has decided to pull out of United Nations bodies like the WHO, UNHRC, UNESCO and stop funding them. Since 2014, India too has scaled down its active participation in the UN and its affiliate bodies like the UNHRC where anti-India NGOs rule the roost.

One thing that needs to be borne in mind here is that often illegal immigrants are a burden on the host nation’s resources and a threat to its national security. There is a limit to which a host nation can keep taking care of such illegal immigrants at its own expense without any aid from the UN. These illegal immigrants are to be provided with basic necessities like food, water, shelter, healthcare and now even education at the expense of the taxpayers money.

There have been instances of late illegal Bangladeshi’s and Rohingya’s finding their way to far away Jammu and Kashmir, availing Indian government documents like Aadhar card, PAN card, election Voter ID cards and even voting in elections in India. There have been instances of them indulging in violent attacks of Indian security personnel.

Their continued presence and illegal participation in our democratic process is a serious issue. In 2024, Telangana High Court revoked the Indian citizenship of ex-BRS MLA Chennamaneni Ramesh after it was found that he held German citizenship by naturalization.

There is a limit to which a host nation can afford to give shelter to refugees and not deport them back to their native countries. These refugees and illegal immigrants are not welcomed in some countries like the US that promptly deport them in chains and handcuffs.

Human trafficking in the name of cheap labour, flesh trade, illicit drug carriers or for gangland killings is a serious global issue. They are not just a burden on the host nation, but also take away jobs, livelihoods, shelter and other government welfare benefits of the local population. It is time that those advocating the rights of illegal immigrants and refugees understand that these people cannot be hosted indefinitely and need to be sent back to their native countries.