International Migration in South Asia: Notes on the “Illegal Migration” from Bangladesh to India

Abstract

India is known for its huge diaspora of over 20 million people outside of the country, (MEA: 2002), whose growing importance has stimulated the development of a specific governmental structure to relate with it. At the same time India is known for receiving several migrants from different South Asian countries, such as Bangladesh, that is associated with “illegal immigration” and human trafficking. In turn, illegal immigration has been a burning issue in the North East of India associated with serious socio-political implications. Though India and Bangladesh depict different positions on the subject, they have put into practice a joint Coordinated Border Management Plan (CBMP), ned in July 2011, besides managing a ‘Task Force of Bangladesh and India for Rescue, Recovery, Repatriation and Integration of Trafficked victims/survivors’. The subject has precipitated questions on security in terms of, both, the states as well as the human beings involved/affected. Considering the above mentioned, this paper aims at analyzing the characteristic of illegal migration from Bangladesh to India by means of the analysis of documents and the review of literature on the subject. Taking up the dynamics of the contemporary positions of both the countires this research offers a critical analysis of the politically sensitive issue. Having signed an agreement on the enclaves issue and the renewal of the bilateral commerce, the two contiguous neihbours also highlight the need to monitor the border in a more effective way, and disable the policy of ‘vote bank’ amidst their other concerns. It seems worthy of attention therefore, that India and Bangladesh work for a more comprehensive approach to the question of security. It would be interesting to see if such an approach between them could also include on board, the issues connected with the development and empowerment of subjects and regions, both as a strategy and as a response to the subject.