India’s Renewed Push to Deport Illegal Bangladeshi Immigrants

TPP
Jun 24
5 min read

*The rail tracks between India and Bangladesh at the fenced international border on the outskirts of Agartala . (Source: PTI)*

India has launched a renewed and intensified campaign to deport illegal Bangladeshi immigrants, with Operation Sindoor, launched on May 7, 2024, marking a significant escalation in both urgency and scale. Since the beginning of this operation, more than 2,500 individuals have reportedly been “pushed back” across the India-Bangladesh international border. This term refers to the practice of physically escorting suspected illegal immigrants to the international boundary and handing them over or sending them across, bypassing formal deportation procedures.

What makes the current drive stand out is its sheer scale, the use of Indian Air Force aircraft to transport suspected illegal immigrants from various Indian states to border outposts, and the imposition of a 30-day deadline for verifying the status of individuals suspected of being illegal immigrants. This approach, though effective in numbers, has raised serious concerns over due process, the possibility of humanitarian violations, and instances where deportees have allegedly been left stranded in no man’s land, a legally ambiguous zone between the formal borders of two countries.

Historical Context of Migration

To understand the roots of this issue, it's important to consider the historical patterns of migration between India and present-day Bangladesh, a phenomenon stretching back to the British colonial era.

During the British period, particularly in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the administration encouraged migration of labourers from Bengal and North India into the sparsely populated region of Assam, creating early demographic shifts.
Post-Partition in 1947, a massive influx of refugees occurred, mostly Hindus fleeing East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), reshaping the population landscape of bordering Indian states.
The 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War led to another dramatic surge: an estimated 10 million refugees, predominantly Hindus, crossed into India seeking shelter from the Pakistani military crackdown.
Over subsequent decades, economic migration continued as Bangladeshi nationals, mostly from poor rural backgrounds, crossed into Indian states such as Assam, West Bengal, Tripura, and even into urban centres like Delhi, Mumbai, and Gujarat, often taking up low-wage informal sector jobs.

Despite substantial fencing of the India-Bangladesh border, porous stretches and riverine gaps still exist, enabling ongoing undocumented cross-border movement. While exact figures are elusive, estimates of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants in India have varied widely:

In 2004, then MoS (Home) Sriprakash Jaiswal told Parliament there were 12 million such immigrants — a claim later withdrawn following protests by Assam and West Bengal.
In a 2016 research paper, former RAW chief Sanjeev Tripathi estimated the number to be over 15 million, using a comparative analysis of census data from Bangladesh and India (1981–2011).
That same year, MoS (Home) Kiren Rijiju cited unofficial assessments estimating 20 million illegal Bangladeshi immigrants in India.

Deportation Policy: Continuity and Acceleration

Deportation of illegal immigrants has been a consistent element of Indian policy across different governments. During the UPA era, then MoS (Home) RPN Singh (2012–2014) stated that the Manmohan Singh government deported 82,000 Bangladeshi immigrants. However, these efforts have seen marked escalation under the Narendra Modi government, driven by both national security imperatives and ideological convictions.

In 2018, Amit Shah, then BJP president and current Union Home Minister, made headlines by calling illegal Bangladeshi immigrants “termites”, signaling a hardened stance. Since then, the Modi government has increasingly adopted a technology-driven strategy for identification and deportation.

Key initiatives include:

The launch of identification.mha.gov.in in 2018 for collecting biometric and biographic data of Rohingya immigrants, later expanded to include Bangladeshi nationals.
A revamped version of this system—the Foreigners Identification Portal (FIP)—was rolled out in 2023, allowing detailed digital profiling of suspected illegal immigrants. It grants access to States/UTs and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
Integration with the Immigration Visa Foreigner Registration Tracking (IVFRT) system was introduced through a District Police Module, enabling real-time tracking of overstaying foreigners.
Biometric infrastructure such as fingerprint scanners, digital cameras, and computers has been deployed extensively across police stations, detention centres, and BSF border outposts (BOPs) to ensure more robust verification.

Operation Sindoor: New Intensity, New Methods

The urgency behind Operation Sindoor seems to have gained momentum following the April 22, 2024 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, after which illegal immigration came under renewed scrutiny. Under this drive, states like Gujarat, Delhi, Maharashtra, Assam, and Rajasthan are actively rounding up suspected illegal immigrants. Once identified, they are flown or transported to Assam, Tripura, or Meghalaya, where they are then pushed back across the Bangladesh border by the Border Security Force (BSF).

What distinguishes the current campaign is its digitally integrated, multi-agency approach. By capturing biometric data into the FIP, authorities hope to curb re-entry attempts, which have historically undermined deportation efforts. According to a senior security official, “The border is porous. These people often return.” The new system is designed to plug this loophole.

To further support the process, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has directed document-issuing agencies (Aadhaar, Voter ID, Ration Card) to cross-check applicants against the FIP and IVFRT databases. A 30-day deadline has been given to States and UTs to complete verification processes. If identity claims remain unverified, deportation is automatically initiated via the Foreigners’ Regional Registration Offices (FRROs).

Bilateral Sensitivities and Legal Hurdles

Despite administrative assertiveness, this drive has prompted diplomatic tension and legal scrutiny. On May 8, 2024, Bangladesh sent a diplomatic note to India expressing concern over the deportations. Md Touhid Hossain, Foreign Affairs Adviser to Bangladesh's Prime Minister, noted that while the government had observed the deportations, “it is not feasible to resist physically,” indicating a call for adherence to legal and diplomatic protocols.

This is not the first such concern. During a 2022 BSF–BGB (Border Guard Bangladesh) meeting in Dhaka, the Bangladeshi side had reportedly asserted that illegal migration from their country had declined, attributing the decline to economic growth and better domestic opportunities in Bangladesh.

Meanwhile, within India, civil rights groups, lawyers, and opposition parties are expected to challenge the legality of deportations—especially in cases involving pending court appeals, refugee claims, or stateless individuals. The sight of people being dropped into no man’s land between the two countries, without clarity on their legal status, has also sparked humanitarian concerns.

A Defining Moment in Border Governance

India's latest deportation drive, led by Operation Sindoor, represents a strategic shift in tackling illegal immigration—from sporadic action to systematised surveillance and coordinated execution. With biometric databases, digital tracking systems, and inter-agency collaboration in play, the government is aiming for a more permanent solution to what has long been a revolving-door problem.

Yet, the balance between sovereign security interests and human rights obligations, and between legal process and administrative efficiency, remains fragile. As the operation continues and its ripple effects unfold across borders and courtrooms, India’s handling of this issue will likely shape its internal security policies, neighbourhood diplomacy, and global human rights image for years to come.