In India’s major cities — where skyscrapers stand alongside scenes of poverty — recent immigration raids have sparked sharp socio-political noise. In Gurugram, local authorities detained hundreds of migrant workers — mostly Bengali-speaking Muslims from West Bengal — labeling them as “illegal Bangladeshi citizens.”
During the raid, detainees were placed in special “detention centers” and forced to present documents proving their citizenship. Some workers, including day laborer Ater Ali Sheikh, who has lived in the city for 15 years, claim that although they had documents, they were deemed “fake” and that they were beaten in police custody. Police strongly deny these allegations, stating that out of 250 people, only 10 were in fact identified as illegal migrants.
As a result of the raids, hundreds of workers fled the city with their families overnight. This also caused problems within the city itself — the garbage collection system collapsed, and dozens of homes were left without domestic help. While some residents of affluent neighborhoods were directly affected, fear and distrust among poor migrants only grew stronger.
Experts note that such raids are not new. However, in recent years, especially under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, deportation measures targeting Muslims from Bangladesh have intensified. A new directive from the Ministry of Home Affairs, issued in May, requires all states to form special units to identify illegal migrants and verify their documents within 30 days.
Human rights activists highlight the main issue with the procedure: even after verification, suspects are not issued an official certificate confirming their citizenship. This allows authorities to detain them again at any time. As a result, thousands of Bengali Muslims in the outskirts of Indian cities are forced to keep their documents under their pillows, living in constant fear of deportation.
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