I was scared that my child's nationality would change if he was born in Bangladesh, says Sunali Khatun, a pregnant woman who returned to India after being deported to Bangladesh in June.
Khatun, a domestic worker from West Bengal, was detained in Delhi with her husband and son, and subsequently deported on suspicion of being an illegal immigrant. The family faced jail time in Bangladesh for allegedly entering unlawfully.
The West Bengal government criticized the deportation, alleging that it occurred without cause, and reports suggest that hundreds have faced similar fates amidst crackdowns on suspected illegal immigrants.
Rights activists emphasize that recent deportations disproportionately affect Muslims who speak Bengali, raising concerns over due process and discrimination. Khatun was separated from her daughter and has since been living with her parents in West Bengal while her husband remains in Bangladesh.
Reflecting on the trauma, Khatun asks, We are not from Bangladesh, we are Indian. Why did they do this to us? as she navigates the complicated landscape of identity and belonging in the face of bureaucratic challenges.
