A large-scale operation targeting undocumented Bangladeshi migrants has been launched in the Indian state of West Bengal. While hundreds were taken to the border line, many others were sent to detention centers.
The state's new administration is conducting this process with a "identify, erase, and deport" approach. Concerns that the operation specifically targets Muslim Bangladeshis have increased tensions in the region.
Waiting in the Border Town
Hakimpur village in the North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal has recently become one of the gathering points for migrants who have been deported or are waiting to return. The hot weather, humidity, and lack of drinking water have made conditions in the temporary waiting area even more difficult.
Among those waiting here are Raisul Islam from Bangladesh's Satkhira region, his wife Rebeka Khatun, and their two sons. The family explained that they came to India two years ago for the husband's skin condition treatment and later decided to stay due to better living conditions.
Islam said he paid about 250 dollars to intermediaries arranging the border crossing and then started living in a rented room in the outskirts of Kolkata. The couple reportedly earned about 10 dollars a day working in construction.
Another migrant, Mirazul Ghazi, said he crossed into India five years ago with his wife Sabina Yasmin and their sons in search of better opportunities. Ghazi stated that after the new government took office and their landlord asked them to vacate, they decided to return.
Detention Centers and Deportation Procedures
Since the end of May, there has been a steady flow of migrants to Hakimpur and other border points in West Bengal. A police officer stationed in Hakimpur said that about 250 to 300 undocumented refugees and migrants arrive daily, with citizenship verification and biometric data collection being conducted.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari stated in Kolkata that approximately 5,000 Bangladeshi nationals have been deported. Adhikari noted that "holding centers" have been established across the state, where 4,800 people have been sent, and 836 more are planned to be deported shortly.
Adhikari said the operation targets undocumented Bangladeshis, while Hindus and people of other religions are exempted. The state administration also announced that these individuals will not be brought before a court before deportation.
Religious Discrimination Debate Raises Concerns
The operation in West Bengal has caused anxiety not only among migrants but also among some Indian Muslims living in the state. The concern stems from doubts about whether those targeted are being assessed solely based on their legal status or also on their religious identity.
The report recalls a similar process in the neighboring Assam state in the summer of 2025. At that time, Indian security forces forcibly sent many Indian Muslims to Bangladesh, which rejected them, leaving the group stranded at the border for a while.
This experience has heightened fears that a similar scenario could repeat in West Bengal. Some migrants gathered at the border said they surrendered voluntarily to authorities due to local pressure and police surveillance concerns.
New Tension Increases Strain Between Delhi and Dhaka
Relations between India and Bangladesh were already strained after the youth-led uprising in Bangladesh in 2024 led to the loss of power by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Hasina's asylum in India and Dhaka's unheeded extradition requests further complicated relations.
While Bangladesh's new administration is trying to repair ties, the wave of deportations in West Bengal has opened a new diplomatic chapter between the two countries. Bangladesh Foreign Affairs Advisor Shama Obaid said 12 to 13 letters were sent to New Delhi on the matter and emphasized the need for a mechanism for national identity verification.
Bangladesh Border Guards also announced that since June 4, they have prevented at least 18 attempts by India's Border Security Force to push about 180 migrants across the border. The border forces of the two countries began three days of talks on Monday to discuss deportation procedures in West Bengal.
Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal previously stated that a bilateral mechanism already exists between the two countries. The border management and migration discussions between the parties are expected to remain on the agenda in the coming days.
