Reverse Migration at Hakimpur Border: SIR Exposes Undocumented Bangladeshis' 'Borrowed Lives'

Image Source: Internet

A quiet revolution is unfolding at the Hakimpur BSF border outpost in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas, where hundreds of undocumented Bangladeshi nationals are queuing up to return to their homeland. The sudden surge in reverse migration is directly linked to the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which has made it difficult for many to prove their identity and residency in the state. Families, some of whom have lived in West Bengal for over a decade, are waiting patiently under a sprawling banyan tree, clutching small bags and children, and pleading with BSF personnel to let them go home. The movement has taken the shape of an unusual reverse migration, with officials and the migrants themselves attributing it directly to the SIR exercise. Many in the queue admit to having procured fake documents, such as Aadhaar cards, ration cards, or voter IDs, through middlemen during their stay in West Bengal. With SIR demanding verification of older documents, several said they preferred leaving rather than risking questioning and possible detention. "It's better to leave before they ask questions," said a young waiter, who lived in Kolkata for eight years. "No more staying here." The concern is echoed across the queue of men, women, and families who arrived from areas such as New Town, Birati, Dhulagori, Bamangachi, Ghusuri, and parts of Howrah's industrial belt. Border officials confirm the surge, with 150-200 people being detained and pushed back after verification every day. The queues began swelling from November 4, the day the SIR exercise began. While some have been in the state for over a decade, others arrived only a few years ago. The SIR exercise has also strained local policing, with officers admitting that they cannot hold so many detainees. "We had 95 detainees in two days. No station has the space or facilities to hold so many. We stopped taking custody after that," an officer said. As the sun dips behind the barbed fence, a BSF jawan watches the line snake down the mud road. "They came in the dark," he said, referring to years of night crossings. "Now they leave in daylight, through the proper channel. That is the difference.