After the Pakistan-backed terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22, the Government of India has unleashed one of the most extensive crackdowns on illegal immigration in recent history, sending over 2,000 Bangladeshi nationals back and triggering panic-induced self-deportation of thousands more. This marks a dramatic shift in how India handles decades of unchecked infiltration through its porous eastern borders, with authorities adopting what insiders call an “instant deportation model.”
This nationwide purge is being spearheaded through two complementary operations: “Operation Sindoor”, launched on May 7, and the more covert but aggressive “Operation Push-back”, which began taking shape in April 2025 in response to increasing national security threats and demographic pressures.
Gujarat leads the crackdown, northeast becomes nerve centre
According to top security and intelligence officials, the first phase of deportations targeted industrial hubs and border-sensitive zones, with Gujarat emerging as the most proactive state, accounting for nearly 50 per cent of all deportations so far.
Other states that have witnessed large-scale roundups include Delhi, Haryana, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Assam. On the eastern frontier, Tripura, Meghalaya, and Assam have become critical corridors for physical repatriation, thanks to their relatively easier border access.
A senior officer associated with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), “The instructions from the Centre are crystal clear: verify, detain, deport. Gujarat was first off the blocks. What began as a reaction to the Pahalgam terror attack has now become a national priority.”
The sweeping crackdown has sparked widespread fear among illegal Bangladeshi migrants, with over 2,000 self-reporting at the border to avoid detention, officials said. These individuals, often living in slums or informal labour hubs, fear incarceration or forced separation from families, and are crossing over voluntarily, calling relatives in Bangladesh to receive them on the other side.
“This isn’t just enforcement. It’s psychological. These infiltrators know they are illegal, undocumented, and vulnerable. Most would rather go back than face jail or deportation camps,” a BSF official told Organiser.
Deportation logistics: Indian Air Force, BSF, and temporary border camps in action
What makes this crackdown unique is its logistical scale and military involvement. In Delhi alone, over 470 Bangladeshis were rounded up, with 160 flown out via Hindon Air Base in a special IAF aircraft to Tripura, from where they were deported by road.
At the border, temporary holding camps, supervised by the BSF, offer short-term housing. Migrants are given basic food, water, and in some cases Bangladeshi currency, before being escorted across the border. The Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB), despite recent political tensions, have cooperated so far, but sources warn that patience in Dhaka may wear thin once weekly deportation numbers exceed 10,000–20,000.
Aadhaar Rackets, Human Smuggling Networks, and 20-Year-Old Ghosts
In Haryana, police arrested 29 Bangladeshis, including women and children, working at a brick kiln in Kharkiya. Among them was Noor Islam, who had been living in India illegally for 22 years. Another individual, Musharraf, confessed to paying Rs 25,000 to an agent just last year to sneak into India.
Investigations revealed a web of agents, fake Aadhaar makers, and smugglers operating through West Bengal and Balaghat, packaging migrants into groups of five to ten. Once inside, they were quickly absorbed into India’s unorganised labour force, often aided by falsified documents, which now form a significant part of the ongoing investigation.
A broken protocol and a hostile neighbour: Why India changed tactics
India has traditionally followed established diplomatic deportation protocols, involving FIRs, court trials, consular confirmation, and eventual handover. But these processes have been plagued by non-cooperation, especially after the Sheikh Hasina government was toppled in an undemocratic coup earlier this year.
The current Yunus-led interim government in Dhaka has refused to acknowledge many deportees as citizens, derailing the legal route and forcing India’s hand. “These people stay here illegally for decades, claim false identities, and vanish into the system. The old model doesn’t work anymore. We needed a direct-action mechanism. And that’s what Operation Push-back is,” said a senior Home Ministry official.
As per estimates from security think tanks and MHA data, over 2 crore Bangladeshi infiltrators live illegally in India as of 2016—a number that has likely grown exponentially in the past decade. These migrants have settled not only in border states but also in metropolitan cities, where they form a shadow economy. Their presence has raised concerns about demographic imbalance, electoral manipulation, terror funding, and narcotics trafficking, especially in states like West Bengal, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, and Kerala.
Despite being a border state, West Bengal has not participated actively in the crackdown. Officials attribute this to difficult border terrain, village-spliced boundaries, and deep familial linkages across the international line—factors that, combined with political considerations, have led to fears of law-and-order chaos if a roundup is attempted.
“The border in Bengal literally cuts through courtyards and kitchens. That’s why action is being focused on Tripura and Assam,” said a security analyst posted in the Northeast.
To ensure long-term success, the government has ordered the biometric capture of all illegal immigrants who are deported under the current operations. These records will be integrated into national immigration databases, preventing re-entry through false identities. The scale of the operations is expected to expand rapidly post-general elections, with the Centre aiming to deport tens of thousands each month. Special task forces have already been constituted across major cities.
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