From factory floors to prison cells: The harsh reality of illegal migration to India

After years of working illegally in India and months behind bars, 28 Bangladeshi migrant workers have finally returned home, bringing with them a stark warning about the risks of undocumented migration.

Most of the returnees are residents of Nandigram upazila in Bogura. They were repatriated through the Benapole border on May 27 and returned to their villages following Eid-ul-Azha. The group also included three workers from Naogaon, Natore and Munshiganj.

Many of them had crossed into India illegally between two and seven years ago, lured by the promise of better wages and lower living costs. They found work mainly in garment factories in Chennai, earning between 15,000 and 20,000 Indian rupees per month.

Among them is 22-year-old Abdul Momin, who spent seven years working in Chennai without a passport or visa. His family says he regularly sent money home before being arrested by Indian authorities. After serving his sentence, he was held in a shelter facility before finally returning to Bangladesh.

Several returnees described how brokers facilitated their journey across the border for Tk10,000 to Tk15,000. Using ladders placed over barbed-wire fences, they were guided into India under the cover of darkness before being transported to major cities and workplaces.

Workers including Atikul Islam and Rana said they were arrested earlier this year and spent around 14 months in prison, followed by three months in government-run shelter centers. They claim hundreds of Bangladeshi nationals remain detained in Indian prisons on immigration-related charges.

The returnees said economic hardship and limited employment opportunities at home pushed them to take the risky route. However, they now regret the decision and urge others not to follow the same path.

“Life seemed better at first, but getting caught meant months in prison and immense suffering,” one returnee said.