Jharkhand High Court seeks guidelines to track undocumented migrant workers

Ranchi: The Jharkhand high court on Wednesday directed the state govt to frame guidelines to deal with migrant workers and labourers who come here from outside the state to do small jobs without valid documentation.

The court’s direction is closely linked to the growing challenges posed by undocumented migration. People from other states, including migrant workers and nomadic or gypsy communities, often arrive in Jharkhand in search of livelihood opportunities and take up small jobs or informal businesses. In the absence of valid documentation or local identification, it becomes difficult for authorities to verify their identity, origin or length of stay.

While hearing a petition related to the case of a missing minor from Gumla, a division bench of Justices Sujit Narayan Prasad and Arun Kumar Rai observed that the state home department should formulate a mechanism for proper identification of persons entering Jharkhand from outside. The court said such identification and monitoring should fall under the jurisdiction of the concerned police stations.

The court was hearing the petition filed by Chandramuni Urain, whose six-year-old daughter went missing from Gumla in 2018, the court directed the Gumla superintendent of police to submit a status report on the investigation.

Gumla SP Haris Bin Zaman informed the court that after taking charge, he constituted a fresh special investigation team (SIT) to trace the missing child. Although the minor has not yet been recovered, police have rescued nine children who were victims of human trafficking, he said, adding that efforts to trace the missing girl are continuing at full pace.

The state counsel told the court that Ranchi police have recently busted an inter-district and inter-state human trafficking racket. He also informed that two minor siblings from Jagannathpur under Dhurwa police station in Ranchi were recently rescued.

In its order, the court observed that human trafficking has devastating consequences for the physical, cognitive and socio-emotional development of children. “Victims often suffer lifelong health issues, severe trauma, anxiety, depression and difficulties in social integration. Children are nearly twice as likely to suffer extreme violence from trafficking,” the court said.

The court directed the home department secretary to appear through video conferencing for further interaction and to discuss measures to address human trafficking in the state. The matter will be heard again on Jan 27.