Reverse Exodus Stirs Tensions at West Bengal Border

West Bengal's initiative to repatriate illegal immigrants has led to a 'reverse exodus' at the border. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari's strict policy on deportation is prompting scores of undocumented Bangladeshi nationals to return home, reshaping the state's sociopolitical landscape.

West Bengal's BJP government's decision to establish district-level holding centres for suspected illegal immigrants appears to have triggered a fresh ''reverse exodus'' through the international border, with scores of alleged Bangladeshi infiltrators gathering at the Hakimpur checkpoint in North 24 Parganas district seeking to return home, officials said.

The renewed rush comes days after Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced that West Bengal would aggressively implement a ''detect, delete and deport'' policy against infiltrators.

Large bags, rolled-up blankets and plastic sheets had returned to the Hakimpur border crossing on Tuesday, reviving a scene that had briefly unsettled West Bengal's political landscape last winter during the SIR exercise.

The ''reverse exodus'' of undocumented migrants, first witnessed during the voter roll Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in November last year, appears to have resurfaced after the state's newly installed BJP government initiated its ''detect, delete and deport'' drive.

Those awaiting return had reportedly lived for years in places such as Dum Dum, New Town and Dankuni, working as masons, labourers and domestic help.

The movement slowed after a couple of months. But now, the change of power appears to have restarted the momentum.