Over 2,000 illegal immigrants deported to Bangladesh amid massive crackdown after Op Sindoor: Report

Mint

2 days ago

At least 2,000 alleged illegal Bangladeshi immigrants have been 'pushed back' across the border by Indian authorities since Operation Sindoor began in the early hours of May 7, according to a report.
The action was taken following a nationwide verification exercise along the Bangladesh border in Tripura, Meghalaya, and Assam, according to the report in The Indian Express.
The action began along the borders in Gujarat which accounts for half of the illegal immigrants sent back to their country, the report said quoting officials. Among other states, Delhi and Haryana, have also sent back immigrants in large numbers. The immigrants have also been sent back in Assam, Maharashtra and Rajasthan, according to the report.
The action is being carried out based on the instructions from Union Ministry of Home Affairs.
'It is an ongoing process and all states which have cities with significant economic activity are rounding up such illegal immigrants after verification of their documents. A focused effort began in this direction following the Pahalgam attacks in April. Since Operation Sindoor, it has picked up pace,' the report quoted an unnamed official.
After political changes in Bangladesh in August 2024, on the directions of MHA, the States started a crackdown on illegally staying foreigners in the country. After the Pahalgam terror attack on 22 April 2025, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs asked the states to intensify the drive against undocumented migrants from Bangladesh and Myanmar.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on 22 May that India has asked Bangladesh to verify the nationality of 2,369 'illegal migrants' so that they can be deported. The MEA said that some cases have been pending for more than five years.
The report said that these illegal immigrants are first taken to the borders from the states in IAF aircraft where these are handed over to the Border Security Force. They are then kept in makeshift camps at the border where they are provided with food and some Bangladeshi currency, if needed, before being sent back to their country, the report said.
'Because of largescale reports about a crackdown, many illegal immigrants from Bangladesh are voluntarily leaving the country for the fear of being detained,' the official said in the report.
India carried out precision strikes under Operation Sindoor on nine terror infrastructures in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir, on 7 May in response to the22 April Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people, mostly tourists in Jammu and Kashmir.
Following the Indian action, Pakistan attempted to attackIndian military baseson 8, 9 and 10 May. The Pakistani attempts were strongly responded to by the Indian side by inflicting heavy damage to a number of key Pakistani military installations, including air bases, air defence systems, command and control centres and radar sites.
The process is ongoing in many states. Last week, Delhi Police has said that approximately 900 illegal Bangladeshi nationals residing in the national capital have been identified and will be deported after proper verification. Delhi's Special Commissioner of Police, Crime Branch, Devesh Chandra Srivastava, said that the process of deporting undocumented migrants has gained momentum in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack.
As many as 160 undocumented migrants from Bangladesh were flown on an Indian Air Force (IAF) plane to Agartala from Ghaziabad on 25 May to be sent across to the neighbouring country.
The Maharashtra government is also conducting a similar exercise with the Mumbai Police saying last month that about 300 illegal Bangladeshis have been deported in recent times. Maharashtra Police said 766 such illegal immigrants have been arrested so far this year.
"Our government will not do injustice to any such family...Our government will not do injustice to anyone except Bangladeshi infiltrators. Action will be taken against those who are eligible for action, the general public will not be harassed," Cabinet Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule said.
Earlier Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma told reporters that India has adopted a new 'push back' strategy to tackle infiltration from Bangladesh. Sarma said the Centre has deported illegal immigrants, including Rohingyas, from different parts of the country, including from the Matia detention centre in Goalpara - one of the largest facilities in the country housing illegal immigrants in the country.
On 26 May, Brigadier General Md. Nazim-ud-Daula, director of the Military Operations Directorate of the Bangladesh Army, said at a press conference in Dhaka that 'push-ins are unacceptable'.
Our government will not do injustice to anyone except Bangladeshi infiltrators.
'BGB (Border Guards Bangladesh) is handling it efficiently, and if needed, the army will step in under government instruction. For now, BGB is managing well, within international protocols,' he said, according to Daily Star, Bangladesh.