Punjab has traditionally welcomed people from across India who come here for agriculture, construction, industry, trade and other forms of employment. Migrant workers are an important part of Punjab’s economy and the vast majority are ordinary, hardworking people. But this economic reality cannot become an excuse for weak identity verification, inadequate police records and failure to monitor temporary populations.The fundamental question is simple: Does the Punjab government know who is living and working in the state? If employers, contractors, landlords and local authorities cannot provide verified information about people residing in their areas, then the government is creating a security gap that criminals can exploit.
The horrific Hoshiarpur five-year-old murder case of September 2025 brought this issue into sharp focus. Police arrested a migrant worker in connection with the kidnapping and murder of the child. The case generated enormous public anger, and around 20 village sarpanches in Hoshiarpur reportedly announced that migrants without proper documents would not be permitted to reside in their villages.The incident also demonstrated how quickly concerns about crime can turn into social tension. Reports at the time described confrontations between local residents and migrant workers in different parts of Punjab. Several panchayats demanded stricter controls and verification.
But there is an important distinction that Punjab must maintain: one criminal cannot represent an entire community. A migrant worker from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan or any other state cannot be labelled a criminal merely because he has come to Punjab for work. Equally, however, the government cannot ignore the possibility that criminals may use the absence of proper verification to hide their identities or move from one place to another.
The controversy has not disappeared. Concerns about migrant populations, temporary settlements and verification continue to surface in Punjab, including Bathinda and other districts.Recent incidents and local tensions should not automatically be described as “migrant crimes” unless police or court records establish the accused person’s identity and role. That standard is important. Punjab needs facts, not rumours or social-media accusations.But the government should nevertheless treat every such incident as a reason to strengthen preventive policing. If a person is working in Bathinda today, living in Ludhiana tomorrow and moving to another district the following week, there should be a lawful mechanism through which his identity and address can be established.
Punjab needs to stop treating the demand for verification as an attack on migrants.Verification is not discrimination.If a Punjabi family rents its house to another Punjabi family, verification is sensible. If a landlord rents to a migrant worker, verification is equally sensible. If a contractor brings 50 or 100 workers from another state, their names, identity documents, permanent addresses and employment details should be available to the authorities.The same rules should apply to everybody.The government should establish a statewide system covering tenant verification, migrant-worker registration, employer and contractor records, temporary addresses and legally permissible criminal-background checks.And it should not stop at registration. Workers change employers and addresses. Records need to be periodically updated.
The biggest failure would be to wait until a serious crime occurs and then begin asking questions.After a murder, police investigate the accused. After a kidnapping, they search for the suspect. After a violent incident, authorities ask where the accused came from and where he had been living.
The better question is: Why was this information not already available?
Prevention is the real purpose of verification.Punjab Police is currently conducting a major anti-gangster campaign, with reports saying that action has been taken against more than 58,000 criminals during a 200-day operation. That demonstrates that the state has the capacity for large-scale policing.But organised crime and street crime cannot be fought only through arrests after offences occur. Local policing, intelligence gathering and accurate population records are equally important.
Protect Migrants Too
There is another side that must not be forgotten. Migrant workers themselves can become victims of crime and violence. In February 2026, migrant workers in Moga were reportedly targeted in a firing incident, with two injured. Police later arrested suspects.This proves why Punjab needs law and order for everyone, not selective protection.The government should protect innocent migrant workers from harassment while ensuring that criminals cannot exploit an absence of verification.