After a countrywide verification exercise, the authorities are believed to have sent back over 2,000 illegal immigrants from Bangladesh since “Operation Sindoor” commenced in the early hours of 7th May after the 22nd April Pakistan-backed Pahalgam terror attack, reported The Indian Express.
They added that during that time, an equal number of immigrants willingly crossed the border between India and Bangladesh as a result of the panic caused by the crackdown. The sources revealed that government action is majorly taking place in Tripura, Meghalaya and Assam along the Bangladesh border.
Approximately half of all individuals who have been sent back have come from Gujarat, which was one of the first states to start the round-up. The sources further disclosed that a significant number of immigrants have also been returned from Delhi and Haryana as well, with the remainder being rounded up from Assam, Maharashtra and Rajasthan.
A government source informed, “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. Gujarat was the first off the blocks followed by Delhi and Haryana. More states will begin sending soon. The instructions from the Ministry of Home Affairs are clear in this regard and the states, too, are cooperating.”
These illegal immigrants are reportedly being transported from different places to the borders in Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft and then turned over to the Border Security Force (BSF) to be detained in temporary camps along the border. The source mentioned that after a few hours of confinement, they receive food and some Bangladeshi currency, if necessary, and then sent back.
“There is a perception that these states have been chosen because they are BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party)-ruled. But that is not true. BJP is a small minority in Meghalaya. These states were chosen because of the ease in pushing back from these states. In West Bengal, because of the nature of the border, which often passes through the middle of villages or even houses, and the familial connections on either side, there was fear of law and order issues cropping up,” a security establishment officer stated while talking about the action transpiring along the border in Tripura, Meghalaya and Assam.
Another official pointed out that around 2,000 Bangladeshi immigrants voluntarily arrived at the border to go back. “Because of largescale reporting in the media about a crackdown, many illegal immigrants from Bangladesh are voluntarily leaving the country for the fear of being detained,” the officer highlighted.
The Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) have reportedly been “cooperating” with their Indian counterparts and the operation has gone smoothly thus far. “It is because most of those who have been rounded up are not resisting deportation. Barring those who came to India decades ago, most are willing to go back. Once rounded up and taken to the border, they call up their relatives in Bangladesh who come to pick them up. Most of them know that once they are rounded up, they will end up in detention centres or jails. A majority of them are poor labourers with no means to fight a legal battle. They prefer to go back to their families,” conveyed another security establishment officer.
However, once the numbers rise to 10,000 or 20,000 per week, officials in Bangladesh are expected to become uncomfortable, according to sources. An official expressed, “This is only a temporary solution. Such exercises, albeit on a much smaller scale, have been carried out in the past as well, even under the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) government. But these illegal immigrants often come back once the heat lowers. That is why the Government is pushing for biometric capture of all such immigrants who are being pushed back and integration with larger immigration data.”
Crackdown against intruders in the country
On 29th May, around 160 illegal immigrants were sent back to Bangladesh via Hindon Air Base from Delhi. According to the sources, a special plane would transport them to Tripura after which they were to be deported by road to the Bangladesh border for repatriation. Nearly 470 Bangladeshi nationals were found to be living unlawfully in the city by Delhi Police and they were also removed using the same route. Most of these people had smuggled their way into India while others did not return to Bangladesh even after their visas had expired.
It has been reported that during 24th and 25th May, India forced 172 illegal immigrants from Bangladesh to head back to their homeland. The deportations were conducted via the borders of Sylhet, Meherpur and Moulvibazar in Bangladesh.
29 Bangladeshi nationals, including women and children who were staying illegally in India were taken into custody by the Haryana police. They were employed at Kharkiya brick kiln. During questioning, Noor Islam disclosed that he had been living illegally in India for 22 years. He claimed to have paid ₹15,000 to the contractor who facilitated his entry into India. Musharraf claimed that he paid an agent ₹25,000 last year in order to enter India illegally. Hafizul reported to have entered India at night via the Balaghat border region.
According to the investigation, the contractors created fictitious Aadhar cards for the Bangladeshis who were arrested. They organized Bangladeshi nationals into groups of five to ten and made it easier for them to enter through West Bengal.
Operation Push-back
For decades, India has followed established protocols to deport Bangladeshi infilitrators and Rohingyas to their home country. The process has been slow (pending trial in courts), cumbersome (because Bangladesh government and Bangladesh Border Guard often refuse to acknowledge their own citizens) and has failed to attain success.
The situation has been exacerbated due to continued illegal immigration through the porous India-Bangladesh border with the help of agents and brokers but not enough deportations year-on-year. For the unversed, there are more than 2 crore Bangladeshis living illegally in India (2016 data). Following the undemocratic ouster of Sheikh Hasina and the hostile attitude of the Yunus-led interim government, the deportation protocol has been rendered useless by Bangladesh.
Forced by circumstances, the Indian government has now resorted to what is being unofficially referred to as “Operation Push-back.” The Indian government has devised a new strategy to get rid of Bangladeshi infiltrators and Rohingyas who are caught red-handed at the Eastern border as well as living in India illegally for several years.
Instead of going through the hassle of handing them over to the police, registering a FIR, producing them before the court, continuing trials for years and then sending them back through established protocols, the Indian security forces are now increasingly pushing-back the infiltrators to the other side almost instantenously. “Operation Push-back” has been in motion since April 2025.
