Estimates sent by the state governments have given an official number to what has been known informally for a very long time — that illegal migrants from Bangladesh now comprise at least two per cent of India’s population.

According to “very conservative estimates” of the state governments, the total number of Bangladeshi citizens residing in India without proper documents or permits would be in excess of 2 crore, government sources have told The Sunday Express.

The state governments had been asked to send estimates of the number of Bangladeshi migrants living in their states and also the number of such people who had been deported back to their country. Most states have now responded.

According to these figures, not more than 600 Bangladeshi migrants had been deported to their country in the last one year and the possibility of many of them finding their way back isn’t being ruled out.

Migrants from Bangladesh now live in every part of the country. Besides West Bengal, Bihar, Assam and other North-Eastern states — the known places where these illegal migrants have been able to settle down — Maharashtra, Delhi, Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh, and Karnataka are new regions having large concentrations of Bangladeshi citizens. Sources said these were also areas witnessing rapid urbanization and development, and therefore, offering job opportunities to these migrants.

Though it had asked for the data from the states, the Centre was still undecided on what use to put this data to.

“This was mostly an academic exercise, not aimed at any particular objective. The figures that have come out are only estimates, but they are reliable estimates,” a senior government official said. He said as of now there was no clarity on how to deal with this migrant population.

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