Hundreds of Bangladeshi nationals without valid stay documents gathered near the Bithari-Hakimpur border crossing in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas on Tuesday, hoping to return home before facing detention under the state government’s fresh crackdown on illegal immigration. The rush at the border came as authorities moved quickly to enforce the BJP government’s new “detect-delete-deport” approach, a TOI report stated.
Security personnel at the border detained many of the people arriving there before beginning the formal process of handing them over to Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB). Men, women and children were seen waiting near the Swarupnagar side as officials carried out verification procedures.
Holding centres trigger panic among undocumented migrants
The sudden movement towards the border started a day after Bengal opened its first two “holding centres” in Malda and Murshidabad for illegal immigrants awaiting deportation. Officials said the centres were created within 48 hours of a government circular asking district administrations to prepare facilities for detainees.
