India 'pushed back' over 2,000 illegal immigrants into Bangladesh since Operating Sindoor: Report

Over 2,000 alleged illegal Bangladeshi immigrants were reportedly deported from India since the start of Operation Sindoor on May 7. A government source told The Indian Express that these immigrants were ‘pushed back’ after the Indian authorities conducted a nationwide verification exercise.

The source also mentioned that amid the tensions between India and Pakistan , a similar number of immigrants showed up near the India-Bangladesh border voluntarily to exit the country amid fears generated by India’s crackdown following the Pahalgam terror attack that took place in Kashmir on April 22. The source told The Indian Express that verification processes were conducted along the Bangladesh border in Tripura, Meghalaya and Assam.

It is pertinent to note that the state of Gujarat began the round-up and has accounted for nearly half of all those who have been “pushed back”. As per the report, Delhi and Haryana also sent back immigrants in large numbers, with the rest being rounded up from Assam, Maharashtra and Rajasthan.

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The illegal immigrants were handed over to the BSF

The government source told The Indian Express that the alleged illegal immigrants were ferried to the borders in IAF aircraft from various locations and handed over to the BSF to be held in makeshift camps along the border. In the camps, they were provided with food and some Bangladeshi currency. Some of them can be pushed back into their country after a few hours of detention.

“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,” the source told the Indian news outlet.

“There is a perception that these states have been chosen because they are BJP-ruled. But that is not true. BJP is a small minority in Meghalaya. These states were chosen because of the ease of 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,"  the security official furthered, referencing to the measures that are being taken along the border in Tripura, Meghalaya and Assam.

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As per the report, a little less than 2,000 Bangladeshi immigrants showed up at the border voluntarily to cross over. “Because of large-scale reporting in the media about a crackdown, many illegal immigrants from Bangladesh are voluntarily leaving the country for fear of being detained,” the official explained.

The government source made it clear that the operation has been running smoothly so far, and the Indian authorities are also receiving smooth cooperation from the  Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB). However, the source maintained that they are expecting unease among officers in Bangladesh if the numbers swell to 10,000 or 20,000 a week, The Indian Express reported.