Image : Subrata Biswas/ Ht archive
NCRB’s (National Crime Records Bureau) recently released data indicates a rise in number of people caught trying to illegally enter Bangladesh. NCRB recently released its report of 2018 after its much delayed 2017 report. A comparison of the 2017 and the 2018 report suggests that while in 2017 1,800 people were caught by Border Security Force (BSF) for attempting to cross the Indo-Bangladesh border, in 2018 the same number rose to 2,971. This is a more than 50% increase.
Out of the 2,971 caught crossing the border 749 were women and 690 children. On the other hand, number of people coming illegally from Bangladesh to India decreased in 2018 when compared to 2017. In 2017, 1,180 were caught crossing border while the number decreased to 1,118 in 2018. The NCRB data does not explain the motives of those arrested by BSF, which manages the international borders in West Bengal, Assam, Tripura, Mizoram and Assam.
The NCRB has started maintaining this set of data from 2017 itself. This is being seen as a rise in reverse migration possibly of people who were excluded from the second draft list of NRC in Assam which had excluded 4 million people. Even the Gauhati High Court had asked what measures were being taken to ensure that people who are declared foreigners by Foreigners Tribunals do not go absconding before they are detained in detention camps.
Hence, an author, Subir Bhaumik told the Hindustan Times, that the NCRB data does not surprise him. Elaborating further he said, “A definite reverse migration is happening to Bangladesh because of primarily two reasons – a fear factor generated by NRC post Assam followed by repeated statements by BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) leaders that such an exercise would be conducted all over India. Secondly, Bangladesh’s economy today is in much better position and there is uncertainty in India. Those who came here (to India) in 1970s and 1980s have better opportunities in Bangladesh. Why would they risk being beaten up and called illegal immigrants when they can respectfully work in their country?”
A BSF officer, guarding a section of the 4,096-long told HT, “large number of human traffickers, cattle smugglers, fake currency and drugs suppliers, and suspected terrorists who move in and out of Bangladesh regularly are often arrested on Indo-Bangla border. But there are other people who have families on both sides who are often apprehended as well when they cannot produce proper documents”.
Even if one were to assume that an equal or lesser number of people manage to cross the border and end up staying back as illegal immigrants in India, it is still a much lesser number of such immigrants that are being claimed by right wing politicians. The decrease in the number of people coming in from Bangladesh also debunks such claims made by these politicians who are only trying to advance a narrative that suits their political agenda of propagating a “Hindu Rashtra (nation)” and the removal of all illegal immigrants.
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