Kolkata:<\/strong> The Border Security Force (BSF) has flagged a significant upsurge in the number of undocumented Bangladeshi nationals attempting to cross back into Bangladesh from West Bengal. According to a senior BSF officer, the surge is closely linked to the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The BSF officer, quoted by the Press Trust of India, said that while illegal crossings used to be in the low double digits just a few years ago, they are now consistently in the three-digit range every day. Some media reports have suggested as many as 500 people crossing daily, but the officer clarified that the real number lies more realistically between 100 and 150 or more per day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to officials, many long-term undocumented immigrants are now attempting \u201creverse migration\u201d because they fear the SIR process. The SIR involves door-to-door verification of voter lists by Booth Level Officers, and many undocumented people worry they may be identified, detained, or lose their ability to live and work in India legally. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The spike in crossings is especially noticeable along unfenced frontier stretches in North 24 Parganas and Malda districts of West Bengal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A particularly alarming incident occurred at the Hakimpur check-post near Swarupnagar (North 24 Parganas), where the BSF intercepted a single large group of hundreds of suspected undocumented Bangladeshi nationals \u2014 men, women, and children \u2014 who were camping near the \u201cZero Line,\u201d the border demarcation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Security officials warning that not all returnees are necessarily economic migrants \u2014 some may have criminal or extremist links, according to BSF sources. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Meanwhile, the political debate is intensifying. The SIR-driven clampdown is being seen by many as unearthing a long-standing issue of illegal migration \u2014 and raising serious questions about border management, undocumented populations, and the balance between civil rights and national security. <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Kolkata: The Border Security Force (BSF) has flagged a significant upsurge in the number of undocumented Bangladeshi nationals attempting to cross back into Bangladesh from West Bengal. According to a senior BSF officer, the surge is closely linked to the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state. \u201cQuantum Jump\u201d in Crossings…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":7075,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7074","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-west-bengal"],"yoast_head":"\n\u201cQuantum Jump\u201d in Crossings<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Fear of SIR Drives the Exodus<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Hotspots along the Border<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Verification and Repatriation Challenges<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Broader Implications<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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