India has deported over 2,000 undocumented Bangladeshi immigrants since Operation Sindoor began. Following a directive from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, intense efforts against illegal migration and deportation of migrants have taken place. The operation, initially a response to the 22nd April Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 tourists, quickly evolved into a nationwide crackdown on illegal migration, with Gujarat leading, accounting for nearly half of the deportations. Delhi, Haryana, Maharashtra and Rajasthan are not far behind. Delhi deported around 470 migrants in a month. India and Bangladesh share a porous 4,096.7-km border despite 3,232 km being fenced.
The MHA’s directive, spurred by political instability in Bangladesh since August of last year has mandated states to verify the credentials of suspected illegal immigrants within a 30-day period. Those unverified, are to be transported, often via Indian Air Force aircraft, to border areas like Agartala in Tripura, where the BSF facilitates their handover to Border Guards Bangladesh or BGB. The process has been described as smooth because of BGB’s cooperation, though Bangladesh’s Foreign Ministry raised concerns about ‘push ins’ and urginv adherence to formal repatriation protocols.
Operation Sindoor, originally a military strike against terror infrastructure in Pakistan, has been repurposed to address internal security concerns, including illegal immigration. The MHA estimates around 20 million undocumented immigrants, primarily Bangladeshis, reside in India, based on 2016 study. This has set in motion a ripple effect of insurgency activities in states like Assam, where local fears of harassment are rampant.
Additionally, approximately 2,000 immigrants have voluntarily approached borders to avoid detention, reflecting the operation’s intensity. Many argue the ‘push-back’ approach to deporting bypassing due procedure is straining India-Bangladesh relations. Bangladesh’s Army has labeled India’s actions to ‘unacceptable’ with Brigadier General Md Nazim-ud-Daula stating readiness to intervene if instructed. India’s Supreme Court had previously urged faster deportations in February to avoid detaining the immigrants.
