At Hakimpur border outpost in West Bengal, the road leading to Bangladesh is strewn with groups of people – men, women, children, young and old alike – squatting with bags, blankets, and boxes, waiting for their turn to cross over to the neighbouring country.

“We are scared. That is why we packed our bags and came here,” says Abdul Momin, squaring under a tree with his family as a bunch of bags lay beside him.

Momin says he came to India from Satkhira district, just across the border in Bangladesh, five years ago after paying a tout at the border.

“We settled in Domjur in Howrah… After the SIR was announced, we got scared… We heard they (BSF) are allowing us to return to Bangladesh. I, my wife and our two children are here. We arrived here this morning. We are waiting for our turn to re

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