Bengal’s holding centres trigger an exodus

West Bengal’s newly elected BJP government has set up holding centres in all 23 districts to detain undocumented Bangladeshi migrants pending deportation, following its election pledge to ‘detect, delete, and deport’ illegal immigrants. The first two centres opened on May 24 in Malda and Murshidabad, with nine more established within a week, housing over 380 Bangladeshi nationals by May 29. The announcement triggered a mass exodus, with migrants fleeing to the Hakimpur border checkpoint, abandoning homes and belongings in fear of detention. The policy, announced on May 23—just two weeks after the BJP’s swearing-in—aligns with Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) guidelines for handling apprehended foreigners. Many migrants, including long-term settlers, had previously survived the 2025 Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which targeted illegal immigrants ahead of the Assembly elections. Now, panic has intensified, as middlemen charge up to Rs.30,000 to smuggle migrants back across the border. Some migrants claim they hold Indian documents like Aadhaar and PAN cards, received welfare benefits such as Lakshmir Bhandar (a Rs.1,500 monthly allowance for women), and even voted in past elections. Others admit to lacking formal identification but argue they never accessed government services. Mafuza Khatoun, a migrant from Khulna district in Bangladesh, stated she had lived most of her life in West Bengal, possessed all required documents, and received welfare support until recently. Driven by extreme poverty, many Bangladeshi migrants crossed into India seeking work as laborers, cleaners, or domestic helpers. Despite harsh living conditions, they preferred India to their homeland, though deportation now forces them to return. The exodus reflects deep unease among the community, with thousands abandoning livelihoods built over years or decades in West Bengal.