34-year-old Taslima Noor says that ever since the police intensified the operation to detain illegal Bangladeshis in the capital Delhi, she has not slept for several days.
“I have been working here for seven years and I am afraid the authorities will create problems for my family,” domestic worker Noor told DW.
Noor is not from Bangladesh, but from the Bengali-speaking region of Cooch Behar in the Indian state of West Bengal, near the border between the two countries.
Since the beginning of the year, nine Bangladeshi nationals have been deported from India, reportedly as part of a wider crackdown on illegal immigration into the city. Many Bengali-speaking Indians told DW that they too have fallen into this trap.
A team of police personnel recently visited the house of Abdul Quddus, a construction worker who hails from Cooch Behar and has been living in Delhi for more than a decade.
“I have all the necessary documents to prove my Indian authenticity, but have already been interrogated three times,” Quddus told DW.
The action has sparked political debate
So far, the police have already initiated deportation proceedings for more than 25 individuals, interrogated more than 5,000, and dismantled a syndicate involved in illegal immigration and issuing fake identity documents.
“Four people, including two Bangladeshi nationals living here and two Indian helpers, have been arrested,” Joint Commissioner of Police Sanjay Kumar Jain said.
The timing of the action has led to speculation about its political motives as Delhi Assembly elections are due in February.
It also coincides with heightened political tensions as various parties, particularly the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), publicly accuse the ruling (Delhi state) Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of using illegal immigrants as a voter base. She is making allegations, you deny this allegation. ,
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP sees the action as a necessary measure to maintain national security and electoral integrity.
“This is a due process of law and it has to start somewhere,” BJP spokesperson Tom Vadakkan told DW.
He said, “The right to have their vote counted in a clean election is the right of every citizen. It is worrying when you have so many illegal immigrants who can distort the electoral process.”
Many politicians are also insisting that illegal immigrants from Bangladesh are snatching their jobs. However, despite the long history of cross-border movement between Bangladesh and India, little data exists on the numbers of migrants or their impact on employment.
Danger of election narratives
With no actual data available for the numbers, experts fear that the ongoing crackdown in Delhi will lead to broader tensions over immigration and citizenship rights.
Sunil Kumar Alediya, executive director of the Center for Holistic Development, a rights advocacy organization, says, “This election fight in Delhi is about creating a series of vote-appealing narratives. Inciting anti-immigration sentiment is one of them.” Homeless people told DW.
Aledia argues that current police actions disproportionately impact those who are already marginalized and are creating fear of wrongful detention and deportation.
“All individuals need to be treated humanely, regardless of their immigration status,” Aledia said.
Construction worker Quddus’ only hope is that the current crackdown will end and he and his neighbors will no longer have to live in constant fear.
“There is apprehension among the Bengali-speaking community, especially over how this campaign will affect our vulnerable population,” he said.
