Rise in Illegal Bangladeshi nationals attempting crossings amid SIR drives: BSF officials

Kolkata: The number of illegal Bangladeshi nationals attempting to cross the India-Bangladesh border in South Bengal has risen sharply in recent weeks, a surge that is being linked to the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, a senior BSF official said.

According to BSF officials, the flow of undocumented Bangladeshi immigrants trying to return home through unfenced stretches in North 24 Parganas and Malda districts has seen what an officer described as a "quantum jump" compared to the last two years.

"Earlier, such detections barely entered double digits. Now the figure is consistently in the three-digit bracket every day," the senior BSF officer told PTI.

He said while some reports have quoted daily numbers of around 500, the actual figure 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 increased the pressure on BSF and state police, who are required to put every intercepted individual through biometric verification, questioning and criminal background checks on both sides of the border.

"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 data repositories, and if investigators detect any red flag, police step in.

"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.