The Delhi police has been successful at tracing the donkey route adopted by illegal immigrants from Bangladesh to enter India. They usually travel through Meghalaya, Assam, West Bengal and finally ending up the national capital.
There are several transport modes for commuting from Bangladesh to India including dedicated Buses, trains and flights; however the couple, Bilal Shekh and Tanya Sheikh, who were arrested by the police choose to use the Donkey route as they had to migrate illegally and does not wish to return to their country.
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As per Delhi Police officials, the illegal migration module works across the border of both countries. On the Bangladesh side, there are agents, facilitators having cross border connections. The route taken by the couple is also the same as taken by many other immigrants.
The police added that they took an auto rickshaw from Durgapur (Bangladesh) to the border and then a motorcycle and then travelled on foot to reach Baghmara in Meghalaya.
After the migrants cross the border, there are receivers on the Indian side at various locations in West Bengal and Assam, in case of the couple, it was a mini bus that took them to Bongaigaon in Assam and then a train from there to the national capital.
In Delhi, there are various agents who provide them with fake documents and accommodation so that they can live and earn money. Since, West Bengal and Bangladesh have a Bengali speaking population; people in Delhi have no suspicion over them.
Those who migrate illegally are mostly daily wagers, who often accept any amount of money to work while the women mostly work as domestic help in various societies, houses in the capital city.
In the last three days, the Delhi Police have apprehended at least 30 immigrants, who were residing in various slums in the National Capital.
The drive is a part of a two-month verification drive launched by the Delhi Police to identify and deport illegal migrants, following Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena’s directive for the same.
