00:02This man is one of the hundreds now gathered near the Hakimpur border crossing in West Bengal's
00:07Malda district, reportedly trying to return to Bangladesh amid fears of detention, deportation
00:12and identity checks.
00:19Speaking to Aajtak reporter Tapush Sengupta, his anxiety mirrored the sentiments of those
00:24around him.
00:33The BGP government has formally begun implementing what it calls the Detect, Delete and Report
00:37policy against illegal immigrants.
00:46Detect undocument immigrants, delete their names from official and voter records and deport
00:50them back to their country of origin.
00:52The Suvendu Adhikari government has begun setting up holding centers, effectively detention facilities
00:57for suspected illegal immigrants awaiting verification and deportation.
01:05The first such center is now operation in Malda's English Bazaar area where officials say suspected
01:10Bangladeshi nationals are currently being housed under surveillance.
01:13Some critics say this detention center model resembles the system used by the US Immigration
01:17and Customs Enforcement, ICE, where undocumented immigrants are held pending deportation proceedings.
01:27According to reports, fear surrounding the crackdown has triggered panic across sections of Bengal's
01:32border belt, with many now attempting to leave before stricter enforcement begins.
01:36For years, the BJP has accused previous governments in Bengal of allowing unchecked infiltration
01:40from Bangladesh, especially in border districts like Malda and Murshidabad.
01:49The BJP says the crackdown is about national security, border control and protecting government
01:54records from illegal entries.
01:56And now, in places like Hakimpur and Malda, the impact of the 3D's policy is no longer political
02:02rhetoric.
02:02It is unfolding in real time, at the border gates, inside detention centers and among families,
02:07trying to leave before the system catches up with them.
02:10Law.
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