SC Seeks Centre, States’ Reply on Plea Over Alleged Detention of Migrant Workers

By A Staff Reporter

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday sought responses from the Union government and nine States and Union Territories, including Delhi, on a petition challenging the alleged detention and torture of migrant workers under suspicion of being foreign immigrants from Bangladesh.

A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi issued notices after hearing submissions by advocate Prashant Bhushan, who argued that such detentions were unlawful and not sanctioned under the Foreigners Act. He urged the court to intervene, stating that the practice violated the rights of genuine workers.

The petition, filed by the West Bengal Migrant Workers' Welfare Board, claims that State authorities in several regions have been questioning migrant labourers about their origins, leading to harassment and wrongful detention in some cases.

The Court observed that a formal mechanism is needed for authorities to verify details such as the worker’s place of origin before migration and their place of employment afterward, to distinguish bona fide workers from illegal immigrants.