SHILLONG, DEC 30: Deputy Chief Minister in-charge Home (Police) Prestone Tynsong has informed that the Union Home Minister Amit Shah gave a “very positive” response to the state’s proposal to extend Inner‑Line Permit (ILP)‑type safeguards to Meghalaya through the recently enacted Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025.
During a recent meeting with the Union Home Minister in New Delhi, Tynsong said the state delegation led by chief minister Conrad K Sangma had raised several issues, including the ILP framework and the new 2025 Act.
He explained: “We discussed how the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025 can be combined with an ILP‑style provision, effectively making it an ILP for Meghalaya. The discussion with the Union Home Minister on this was very positive. Likely by next week, the Union Home Secretary will hold a meeting with the Chief Secretary and Director General of Police to work out the modalities of declaring Meghalaya a protected or restricted area under the new Act.”
Tynsong elaborated that the proposed amendment would insert a clause similar to the existing ILP system, enabling the state to require outsiders—both Indian citizens and foreigners—to obtain a permit before entering Meghalaya.
He noted, “Under the new Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, we seek to insert a clause similar to the ILP to create a protected or restricted area, empowering the state to issue permits to outsiders before they enter, as is done in Arunachal Pradesh. Anyone coming to the state under the Act will have to register online through facilitation centres at entry points.”
He added that the new Act would be more effective than the current ILP in tackling illegal immigration, especially given Meghalaya’s 444‑kilometre international border with Bangladesh.
When asked whether anti‑influx groups would accept the proposal, Tynsong replied, “Who will not accept? The fact is that this new proposal to insert the spirit of the ILP into the Immigration and Foreigners Act is more powerful and effective in addressing the issue of influx and illegal immigration into the state.”
The Deputy Chief Minister indicated that the next step involves a meeting between the Union Home Secretary and Meghalaya’s Chief Secretary and DGP to finalize the modalities.
He said, “If the Centre agrees to insert this clause, the Immigration and Foreigners Act will act as an ILP for Meghalaya. If the proposal is acceptable, there would be no need for a separate Act; we can fully implement the Immigration and Foreigners Act instead of the ILP.”
According to him, the proposal, if approved, would grant Meghalaya the authority to regulate entry of both foreigners and Indian citizens, requiring mandatory registration upon arrival.
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