Bangladeshis Gather at Hakimpur Border Amid WB Deportation Drive

Many of those attempting to return to Bangladesh said they feared legal action, including possible imprisonment and fines, under the new policy. Several claimed they had been living in different parts of West Bengal for years without valid documents.

One individual who arrived in India a year ago said he had crossed over after being told by a friend that employment opportunities were available.

Another migrant, Abdul, who said he had been living in the state since 2017, stated that he lacked any Indian identity documents and feared penalties under the new rules. He claimed that local residents had helped him settle and that he had worked as a rickshaw puller in Barasat without facing issues in previous years.

Abdul also alleged that local political workers were aware of the presence of undocumented migrants in the area and said the situation changed after the new government came to power, prompting him to leave out of concern for his safety.

Sumaiya Khatun, who was returning to Bangladesh with her two-year-old daughter, said she had entered India two years ago with the help of a broker who charged her Rs 15,000. She said she later married a man in Madhyamgram after meeting him through Facebook.

Khatun said her attempts to obtain documents in India were unsuccessful and that changing circumstances had forced her to return to Bangladesh, where her family is waiting for her.

The development comes after the West Bengal government directed all district magistrates to establish holding centres for apprehended foreign nationals and released foreign prisoners awaiting deportation or repatriation.

According to a communication issued by the Home and Hill Affairs Department on May 23, district authorities have been instructed to follow Ministry of Home Affairs guidelines regarding the deportation and repatriation of Bangladeshi nationals and Rohingyas found residing illegally in India.