▁imm igr ants ▁are ▁originally ▁Indian ▁citizens ▁from ▁West ▁Beng al . ▁In ▁Ass am , ▁Muslim s ▁are ▁usually ▁target ed ▁by ▁the ▁protest ers , ▁being ▁brand ed ▁as ▁illegal ▁imm igr ants , ▁" though ▁many ▁have ▁lived ▁in ▁the ▁region ▁for ▁gener ations ". ▁There ▁were ▁also ▁reports ▁of ▁har ass ment ▁of ▁Muslim s ▁in ▁the ▁char ▁areas ▁by ▁polic emen ▁despite ▁subm itting ▁proof ▁of ▁citizens hip . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁S rip rak ash ▁J ais wal , ▁India ' s ▁minister ▁of ▁state ▁for ▁home ▁affairs , ▁stated ▁in ▁the ▁Indian ▁parliament ▁that , ▁there ▁were ▁ 1 2 ▁million ▁illegal ▁Bang l adesh is ▁in ▁the ▁country , ▁of ▁whom ▁ 5 ▁million ▁were ▁in ▁Ass am , ▁as ▁of ▁ 3 1 ▁December ▁ 2 0 0 1 . ▁However , ▁according ▁to ▁Pr ate ek ▁H aj ela , ▁the ▁N RC ' s ▁coordin ator ▁in ▁Ass am , ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁identified ▁illegal ▁imm igr ants ▁in ▁the ▁state ▁were ▁" in ▁thousands " ▁after ▁covering ▁a ▁third ▁of ▁the ▁total ▁population ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 6 . ▁ ▁See ▁also ▁ ▁Il legal ▁M igr ants ▁( Det erm ination ▁by ▁Trib unal ) ▁Act , ▁ 1 9 8 3 ▁ ▁Indians ▁in ▁Bang l adesh ▁East ▁Beng ali ▁refuge es ▁ ▁M igr ant ▁labour ers ▁in ▁Ker ala ▁ ▁References ▁ ▁India ▁Category : Im m igration ▁to ▁India <0x0A>