India to deport over 200 alleged undocumented immigrants to Bangladesh
A Gujarat Police officer said, “The illegal immigrants will be dropped off in the border states close to Bangladesh from where they will be made to cross over and return by the BSF.”
Indian authorities have airlifted over 200 people described as "illegal immigrants from Bangladesh" from Vadodara, Gujarat, on a special Indian Air Force (IAF) flight under tight security. The group will reportedly be handed over to India's Border Security Force (BSF) near the Bangladesh border to be pushed back across the border
According to Gujarat Police officials, the exercise began over two months ago when local authorities launched a drive to identify Bangladeshi nationals allegedly residing in India without valid documents. Those detained were kept at temporary holding centres before being flown out on Thursday in an IAF Airbus A321, reports The Indian Express.
Speaking to The Indian Express on condition of anonymity, a senior Gujarat Police officer said that the deportation was being carried out in coordination with India's Ministry of Home Affairs and the Foreigners Regional Registration Offices (FRRO). The officer stated, "Since their confinement by the Gujarat Police at the makeshift holding centres in the state, the process of deportation had been underway. Deportation is carried out by the BSF. Therefore, the Gujarat Police coordinated with the FRRO and made arrangements to have them reach the Air Force base as per the instructions of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, which has issued the directions to undertake the deportations of those found living in India in the aftermath of the Pahalgam attacks of April…"
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The official further added that the group will be taken to states along Bangladesh's border, mostly in the North-East and West Bengal, from where they will be sent back by the BSF through land routes. "The illegal immigrants will be dropped off in the border states close to Bangladesh from where they will be made to cross over and return by the BSF," the officer said.
Past instances of such pushbacks have often sparked concerns about the treatment of alleged undocumented Bangladeshis in India and the due process of repatriation. Bangladesh maintains that any genuine citizens are entitled to return following proper verification, and has consistently called for humane and lawful handling of such cases in line with international norms.
Officials say the final handover to the BSF is expected to take place at designated border checkpoints over the next few days.
