Bengali-speaking Indians caught up in immigration crackdown

Taslima Noor, 34, says she has not slept for days since police intensified its drive to detain illegal Bangladeshis in the capital Delhi.

"I have been working here for seven years and I am fearful that the authorities will create trouble for my family," Noor, who is a domestic worker, told DW.

Noor is not from Bangladesh but from a 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 broader drive to crack down on illegal immigration in the city. A number of Bengali-speaking Indians told DW that they have also been caught up in the dragnet.

A team of police personnel recently visited the house of Abdul Quddus, a construction worker who is also from Cooch Behar and has been living in Delhi for over a decade.

"I have all the requisite documentation to establish my Indian bonafide but have been questioned three times already," Quddus told DW.

Crackdown ignites political debate

So far, the police have already initiated deportation processes for over 25 individuals, questioned over 5,000, and dismantled a syndicate involved in facilitating illegal immigration and the issuance of fake identification documents.

"Four persons, including two Bangladeshi nationals and two Indian facilitators, who had been living here have been arrested," said Joint Commissioner of Police Sanjay Kumar Jain.

The timing of the crackdown has led to intense speculation about its political motivations as the Delhi Assembly elections are scheduled for February.

It also coincides with heightened political tensions as various parties, especially the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), have been publicly accusing the ruling (Delhi state) Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of using illegal immigrants as a voter base, an accusation the AAP refutes.

PM Narendra Modi's BJP views the crackdown as a necessary measure to uphold national security and electoral integrity.

"This is a due process of law and that must begin somewhere," BJP spokesperson Tom Vadakkan told DW.

"The right to have your vote counted in a clean election is the right of every citizen. It is worrisome when you have so many illegal migrants that can muddy the electoral process," he added.

Many politicians are also insisting that illegal immigrants from Bangladesh are taking away their jobs. However, despite the long history of cross-border movement between Bangladesh and India, little data exists regarding the number of migrants or their effect on employment.

The danger of election narratives

With no real data available for the numbers, experts fear that the ongoing crackdown in Delhi will lead to broader tensions over immigration and citizenship rights.

"This electoral battle in Delhi is about creating a series of vote-catching narratives. Fanning anti-immigration sentiment is one of them," Sunil Kumar Aledia, executive director of the Centre for Holistic Development, an organization that advocates for the rights of homeless people, told DW.

Aledia argues that the current police crackdown disproportionately affects those who are already marginalized and is leading to fears of wrongful detentions and deportations.

"There is a need for humane treatment of all individuals, regardless of their immigration status," said Aledia.

Construction worker Quddus just hopes that the current crackdown will end and that he and his neighbors will no longer have to live in constant fear.

"There is apprehension among the Bengali-speaking community, especially about how the drive will impact our vulnerable population," he added.