In recent weeks, India’s Border Security Force (BSF) has recorded a sharp and unexpected rise in the number of undocumented Bangladeshi nationals attempting to cross back over the border from West Bengal—an uptick senior officials are linking to an ongoing nationwide revision of electoral rolls.
Officers stationed along the porous stretches of the India–Bangladesh frontier in North 24 Parganas and Malda say the scale of crossings has escalated far beyond normal patterns. “Earlier, such cases barely touched double digits,” a BSF commander told PTI-Bhasha. “Now, we are seeing the numbers climb into the hundreds every single day.”
Some local reports have cited daily estimates of around 500 people attempting to return to Bangladesh. BSF officers say the actual figure is lower but still “significantly high”—typically 100 to 150, sometimes more, and consistently in the three-digit range.
The surge has placed operational stress on both the BSF and the West Bengal Police, who are required to conduct biometric verification, interrogation, and background checks for every person detained on either side of the border. Without such scrutiny, officers warn, it becomes impossible to distinguish between undocumented labourers, petty offenders trying to flee, and individuals potentially linked to extremist networks.
‘Fear of verification’ driving sudden return
The latest spike coincides with the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists—an exercise rolled out in several states to clean up electoral rolls. For thousands of undocumented migrants who have lived in India for years, officers say the verification drive has triggered panic.
“Many arrived long ago for work, stayed beyond permitted periods, and now fear being detained,” a senior BSF official said. “Almost all of them lack passports or valid travel documents. Such individuals can only cross illegally.”
Where no criminal record emerges, the BSF contacts the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) for formal repatriation. If BGB accepts, the person is handed over through established diplomatic procedures. If not, a lengthier legal process follows.
A humanitarian and logistical strain
With numbers rising daily, the challenge has become acute. “No agency can detain thousands indefinitely,” one officer said. “If they are not criminals and simply want to return, facilitating repatriation becomes the only practical solution.”
Officials also warn that figures cited in local media often draw from informal or unverified sources, leading to exaggerated claims. Even so, the BSF acknowledges that the current movement is the largest seen in years.
Political backdrop: sensitive borders and charged debates
The India–Bangladesh border has long been at the centre of political discourse in West Bengal and national politics—tied to questions of migration, citizenship, electoral integrity and security. The ongoing SIR exercise has further intensified these sensitivities, with undocumented migrants increasingly caught in the crossfire between administrative processes and political narratives.
For now, the BSF says it expects the heightened movement to continue as long as verification exercises remain underway.
