2,000+ Bangladeshis 'illegally' living in Delhi deported in 2025: Centre
What's the story
In a major crackdown on illegal immigration, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has reportedly deported around 2,200 Bangladeshis living in Delhi this year. Officials told News18 that the operation, which involved identification, verification, and deportation, was launched on strict MHA orders to crack down on illegal foreign nationals in India. This marks a significant increase in the number of Bangladeshis deported compared to previous years: 14 in 2024, five in 2023, and 50 in 2022.
Process details
Identification and verification process for illegal migrants
A senior MHA official stated that the identification of illegal migrants is typically carried out by the Delhi Police, who verify their documents, including Aadhaar cards, PAN cards, and voter IDs. If these documents are found to be forged, the individuals are detained and taken to the Foreigners' Regional Registration Office (FRRO). After verification by the Bureau of Immigration, they are sent to detention centers from where they are deported in batches to the India-Bangladesh border districts.
Border security
BSF's role in deporting illegal migrants
At the border districts, the Border Security Force (BSF) takes custody of the illegal immigrants as per established protocols and sends them back to Bangladesh. To note, most of these Bangladeshis enter India either illegally or overstay their visas in search of better livelihoods or medical facilities; some have been allowed entry on humanitarian grounds. Recently, the Supreme Court intervened to reverse the deportation of a pregnant woman, who claimed to be an Indian, along with her eight-year-old son.