Sri Lanka, Aug. 26 -- For decades, Indian politicians, particularly under the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), have amplified claims of a massive influx of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants posing economic and security threats.

These assertions, often described as "scare-mongering" by critics, fuel fears that undocumented poor communities may be labelled as illegal immigrants, detained, and deported.

Leading Indian demographer, Dr. S.Irudaya Rajan disputes these claims, noting that estimates of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants in India lack scientific backing and are often politically motivated "guesstimates."

Dr. Rajan, Chair of the International Institute of Migration and Development in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, advocates...