Hundreds of undocumented Bangladeshi migrants have gathered near Hakimpur and other border points in West Bengal, seeking passage back to Bangladesh as the BJP government accelerates its “detect, delete and deport” campaign and expands holding centres for foreign nationals awaiting removal.
The rush at the Bithari-Hakimpur crossing in North 24 Parganas has turned the border into the clearest sign yet of the pressure created by the new enforcement drive. Many of those waiting at the checkpost have told officials they want to return voluntarily rather than risk detention, verification proceedings or transfer to newly opened holding facilities. The Border Security Force has begun screening those who present themselves as Bangladeshi nationals before any handover to Border Guard Bangladesh.
The movement follows Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari’s warning that undocumented migrants should leave quickly or face state action. His “jaldi jaldi bhago” remark has become a political flashpoint, reinforcing the government’s message that illegal stay, names on voter rolls without valid citizenship status, and unauthorised settlement will be targeted through administrative and policing measures.
Authorities have set up 11 holding centres across West Bengal, with 335 people identified as illegal immigrants being kept in those facilities. Malda was among the first districts to operationalise a centre, initially housing nine suspected Bangladeshi nationals. The government has also moved to prepare district-level infrastructure for detainees pending deportation, linking the campaign to the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, and instructions on handling foreign nationals without lawful documents.
Hakimpur’s sudden crowding has underscored the complexity of border enforcement in a state with deep family, labour and trade ties across the Bangladesh frontier. Officials have said people seeking to leave must first provide personal details, undergo identity checks and biometric recording, and then wait for coordination between the two border forces. The process is intended to prevent mistaken expulsions, trafficking risks or the movement of people with unresolved criminal or civil cases.
The campaign has also reopened a long-running political contest over migration, citizenship and electoral rolls in West Bengal. The BJP government has framed the drive as a law-and-order and national security measure, arguing that undocumented migration has strained public services, altered local demography in border districts and created vulnerabilities in voter lists. The administration’s three-stage formula involves identifying suspected foreign nationals, removing unlawful entries from official records, and pursuing deportation after verification.
Opposition parties and rights groups have warned that an aggressive campaign could expose poor migrants, daily-wage workers and linguistic minorities to harassment. They have urged authorities to distinguish between undocumented foreign nationals and lawful residents who may lack ready access to older identity papers. Concerns have also been raised over conditions in holding centres, access to legal aid, family separation and the risk of arbitrary detention if verification is rushed.
The government’s approach marks a sharp policy break from the earlier Trinamool Congress administration, which had resisted the BJP’s claims of large-scale infiltration and opposed mass verification campaigns linked to electoral rolls. The change has created uncertainty in border districts such as North 24 Parganas, Malda, Nadia and Murshidabad, where migration histories are intertwined with partition, river erosion, seasonal work and cross-border kinship.
For those assembling at Hakimpur, the immediate concern is avoiding detention. Several migrants have said they worked in construction, domestic labour, small trade or informal services and lacked valid papers to remain. The tightening enforcement climate has prompted some to abandon jobs and rented rooms, while others are reported to be waiting for relatives or local intermediaries to help them navigate the return process.
Security agencies are watching whether the departures remain orderly or push people towards unfenced stretches of the border. West Bengal shares a long and porous frontier with Bangladesh, including riverine and densely populated sections where enforcement has historically depended on coordination between state police, the BSF and local administrations. The government has also moved to hand over open stretches for fencing, reflecting its intention to combine deportation with tighter border control.
