South Bengal is witnessing a sharp uptick in undocumented Bangladeshi nationals attempting to cross the India–Bangladesh border in recent weeks, a trend senior Border Security Force officials link to the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
A BSF officer said the flow of Bangladeshis trying to return home through unfenced stretches of North 24 Parganas and Malda has seen a “quantum jump” compared with the past two years.
“Earlier, such detections barely entered double digits. Now the figure is consistently in the three-digit bracket every day,” he told PTI.
While some reports cite daily figures of about 500, the officer said the actual number is “slightly lower but substantial — 100, 150 or more. You can safely report that it is in the three-digit range.”
The sudden spike has strained the BSF and state police, who must conduct biometric verification, questioning, and background checks on every intercepted individual.
“When someone is caught crossing illegally, we cannot presume they are simply daily-wage earners returning home. They may be trying to flee after committing an offence here, or they could be a fundamentalist or terror-linked element attempting to slip out,” the officer said.
Biometric details are matched with available repositories, and any red flag triggers police intervention.
"If any criminal angle emerges, they are inevitably handed over to the state police. But if they are simply undocumented people who lived here without papers and now want to return, we follow due process and approach the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB). If BGB accepts, they are formally pushed back; if not, a different process is initiated," another BSF officer explained.
Officials said almost all those attempting to cross back have no valid passports or travel papers.
"Only those without documents attempt to slip across illegally. Many came years ago for livelihood, overstayed, and now fear being caught during SIR or ongoing police verification drives," an officer said.
The sheer numbers have created logistical challenges, he said.
"No agency can detain thousands for long periods. After verification, if they have no criminal history, coordinating with BGB and facilitating their return is the only workable option," the officer added.
On media reports citing higher estimates, the officer said local-level assessments often draw from informal accounts that tend to be exaggerated.
"The numbers are large but not as high as 500. But yes, it is firmly in the three-digit category now," he clarified.
According to the BSF officer, the surge began almost simultaneously with the launch of the SIR exercise in several states.
"SIR and police verification drives have made long-term undocumented immigrants anxious. Many who have lived here for years are now trying to return in much higher numbers. That is why such a spike is visible at the border," he said.