India on Thursday urged Bangladesh to speed up the nationality verification process to deport illegal Bangladeshi immigrants residing in India.
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India has shared a list of over 2,360 individuals awaiting deportation. “Many have completed their jail term. In several cases, nationality verification has been pending since 2020,” he said during a weekly media briefing.
Jaiswal confirmed that India would handle all illegal residents, including Bangladeshis, in accordance with Indian law.
Illegal migrants often enter India without valid documents. Their clandestine entry makes tracking and estimation difficult.
Earlier this month, Indian security forces in Assam’s South Salmara district arrested five Bangladeshi nationals. They were later pushed back after being charged with illegal infiltration.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma linked the recent spike in infiltration to Bangladesh’s economic troubles. “The textile industry has collapsed, leaving many jobless. We’ve arrested around 1,000 Bangladeshi people in the last few months,” Sarma said.
In Delhi, police detained six Bangladeshi women this month. They lived without valid papers and were part of a trafficking network. Authorities confirmed they will be deported.
Gujarat also witnessed a massive crackdown last month. Under CM Bhupendra Patel and MoS Harsh Sanghavi, police arrested over 1,000 Bangladeshi nationals in one day. Ahmedabad Police held 890, and Surat Police detained 134.
Bangladeshi media recently reported that India’s Border Security Force (BSF) pushed about 300 people, including Rohingyas, into Bangladesh between May 7 and May 9. The Bangladesh Foreign Ministry later sent a letter to India raising concerns about these actions.
India maintains that proper verification is essential before deportation of any individual.
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