Punjab has always been known for its peaceful atmosphere, hardworking citizens, and a strong sense of community. But in recent years, an increasing influx of people from various other Indian states, often arriving without proper identification, verifiable addresses, or registration, has created growing concern among residents. Many citizens fear that this unregulated movement has opened the doors for individuals with criminal backgrounds to enter Punjab, commit crimes, and then disappear before they can be traced.
Police sources over the years have repeatedly highlighted a worrying pattern: a significant portion of accused individuals involved in thefts, burglaries, assaults, and drug-related activities are often found staying in temporary housing, rented rooms, industrial clusters, or roadside settlements without any valid ID. The absence of documentation makes background checks nearly impossible. When offenders commit crimes, they simply shift their location, move to another district, or leave the state altogether, taking advantage of the loopholes created by poor verification processes.
Several high-profile cases in the past decade reveal a consistent timeline. There have been multiple incidents where robbery gangs turned out to be groups of out-of-state migrants staying illegally in congested labour colonies. In highway crimes, too, suspects were often traced to people who had entered Punjab without proper identification and used temporary shelters as hideouts. In some drug-trafficking cases, peddlers recruited unregistered labourers as couriers, using their anonymity to escape law enforcement. Each incident has strengthened the belief that unrestricted and undocumented migration has become a security threat to law-abiding citizens.
Another major concern is the burden placed on the state’s administrative structure. Hospitals, public services, sanitation systems, and law and order resources are stretched beyond capacity when thousands of undocumented individuals settle without any official record. Residents often argue that Punjab, already battling issues like drug abuse and unemployment, cannot afford an additional layer of unmonitored population that neither integrates nor participates in the system responsibly.
Experts agree that criminal actions are committed by individuals, not by entire communities. However, they also warn that a lack of proper ID, the absence of tenant verification, and no movement tracking create conditions where criminals can easily hide. Stronger policing, mandatory documentation, strict monitoring at entry points, and inter-state coordination have become essential demands from the public. People across Punjab, known for their peaceful and cooperative nature, now insist that the government must take strict steps to prevent the misuse of migration and to safeguard the state’s long-standing reputation for harmony, safety, and social stability.