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HAKIMPUR (India): Hasina Bibi clutched her hungry four-year-old daughter as she waited at an India-Bangladesh border post, trying to leave as fears grow of an Indian crackdown on undocumented migrants.
She is among the hundreds of Bangladeshis who have gathered over two days at Hakimpur, in West Bengal state, hoping to cross back as authorities tighten enforcement under a new state government.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won power in West Bengal earlier this month promising to “detect, delete and deport” illegal migrants.
The rush underscores growing anxiety among migrant communities — many of whom lack proper documentation — with rights groups warning of forced expulsions and limited legal protection.
