Depoliticising Illegal Immigration from Bangladesh to India

With the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led coalition coming to power in India in May 2014, the issue of illegal immigration from Bangladesh has come to the forefront once again. However, the fear is whether the debate over the issue will shed more light, leading to the resolution of the problem, or whether it will simply degenerate into political rivalry and polarisation. Illegal immigration figured prominently in the run-up to the 2014 parliamentary elections and was often raised by one of the leading political parties, the BJP. No doubt, flagging this important issue was reflected in the improved political fortunes of the party. Meanwhile, some new facts have also emerged that have brought the issue of illegal immigration out from the realm of speculation and given some shape to the problem. These facts indicate that, if anything, the problem has worsened in the last 10 years. There is now a greater need for political parties to work together for a meaningful solution.