Acting quickly on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Independence Day promise, the Union cabinet has approved the formation of a High-Level Committee that will examine demographic changes linked to illegal immigration and suggest measures to address them. The panel will also look into “other abnormal causes” behind the problem, which the Prime Minister has called a national security challenge.

The decision was taken in the cabinet meeting held on September 10. Sources said Home Minister Amit Shah briefed his colleagues about the plan, highlighting the impact of illegal immigration in border regions. The government has not yet shared who will be part of the committee or when it will give its report.

Officials said a detailed notification will be issued soon, outlining the committee’s terms of reference, and that representatives from border states are also likely to be included.

In his Independence Day speech, Modi had announced the launch of a High-Power Demography Mission to deal with what he described as a “severe crisis of a deliberate conspiracy” to change India’s demography. He had warned that illegal immigration was creating a new crisis and taking away opportunities from the country’s youth.

"These infiltrators are targeting our sisters and daughters. This will not be tolerated. These infiltrators are misleading innocent tribals and seizing their lands. The nation will not endure this. When demographic change occurs, particularly in border areas, it creates a crisis for national security. It threatens the unity, integrity, and progress of the country. It sows the seeds of social tension. No country can hand itself over to infiltrators. No nation in the world does so—how then can we allow Bharat to do so?” Modi had said.

In recent weeks both the Prime Minister and the home minister have repeatedly raised the issue during rallies in Assam and Bihar. While speaking in Assam last week, Modi had accused Congress of being responsible for the demographic challenges and described the party as “defenders of infiltrators and anti-national forces”.

He had said, “Any change to demography is a danger to national security. BJP’s objective is to protect the country from infiltrators and restore its integrity...We will show the way we dedicate our lives to remove infiltrators.”

A month earlier, Shah had directed district magistrates in border areas to remove illegal encroachments within 30 km of the border. He had stressed that demographic shifts in these regions directly affect national security and could be part of a “deliberate design”.