Gurgaon: Police have intensified crackdown on illegal Bangladeshi immigrants, verifying the identities of more than 1,200 people living in colonies, slums and labour settlements across the city. Most of them work as daily-wage labourers or garbage collectors.As part of the drive, documents submitted by those suspected to have migrated illegally have been sent to district magistrates in the states they claim as their native places, and, where required, to the facility security officer (FSO) concerned, to confirm the authenticity of their identities and addresses.Thirteen Bangladeshi nationals detained during a special drive at construction sites in sectors 69, 70 and 104 are set to be deported later this week, once legal formalities are completed. Police said the men had entered India illegally via the West Bengal border before coming to the city for work. After medical examinations, they were shifted to a designated deportation centre in Sector 1, IMT Manesar, and will be handed over to Border Security Force to facilitate deportation through the international border.The operation has also been expanded to identify those who facilitated the stay and employment of illegal immigrants. Investigators are examining labour networks to determine whether contractors knowingly hired undocumented workers. “Raids are continuously being made in the suspected colonies, slums or areas,” a police officer said.The verification exercise is expected to continue over the coming weeks as responses from district authorities come in.TOI earlier reported that an investigation by Gurgaon police brought to the fore how the migration happens through a carefully stitched chain of agents, boatmen, labour contractors and rented settlements that carries workers from across the border straight into NCR’s labour economy.Police said the illegal migrants first establish contact with contractors in India through workers already employed here. Once the deal is fixed, local “agents” arrange the crossover. Small bamboo rafts are assembled, and boatmen ferry them across streams dividing Bangladesh from North Dinajpur in West Bengal.“Most crossings happen late at night. The border is porous and water routes make movement easier. Since they speak Bengali, they often blend with Indian crowds and are not detected unless documents are checked,” a senior officer said.From the border, contractors arrange for transport deeper into the country, bringing the workers to cities where accommodation is often ready before they arrive — cramped rooms in jhuggi clusters, unauthorised colonies and labour settlements close to construction hubs.According to police, this labour network thrives on demand for jobs many others no longer want. Construction contractors increasingly hire undocumented Bangladeshi workers for high-risk tasks like installing scaffolding at extreme heights — work many labourers from UP and Bihar often avoid.They are also widely employed in waste collection, garbage segregation, transport and cleaning — physically punishing jobs that form the backbone of the city’s daily functioning. “Garbage collection is one of the toughest jobs. Many workers from Bihar and UP now prefer other options. So, we look elsewhere,” a contractor said.
