HAKIMPUR: Authorities in India’s eastern West Bengal state have intensified a campaign to identify and deport undocumented Muslim Bangladeshi migrants, with hundreds moved to border checkpoints and others placed in detention centres.
The drive, described by state officials as “detect, delete and deport”, follows the Bharatiya Janata Party’s recent rise to power in West Bengal, a state of nearly 100 million people that shares a long border, language links and migration history with neighbouring Bangladesh.
Border crossings increase
At Hakimpur in North 24 Parganas district, undocumented migrants from Bangladesh have gathered near the border as authorities verify citizenship and record biometric details.
A police officer cited in the report said around 250 to 300 undocumented refugees and migrants had been arriving daily at the checkpoint.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said nearly 5,000 Bangladeshi citizens had been deported, while 836 others were in holding centres awaiting deportation.
Families cite livelihood pressures
Several migrants told the media they had entered India in search of better wages and work opportunities. Raisul Islam, from Bangladesh’s Satkhira district, said he came to India with his family two years ago for his wife’s medical treatment and later stayed after finding work.
Another migrant, Mirazul Ghazi, said he and his family decided to return after fearing harassment following the crackdown.
Diplomatic sensitivity
The campaign has added strain to India-Bangladesh relations, with Dhaka calling for established procedures to verify nationality before deportation.
The issue has also raised concerns among sections of Indian Muslims who fear wrongful targeting during the wider enforcement drive.
