Bangladeshi Infiltration Issue: Following the BJP's poll victory in West Bengal, speculation is rife about a shift in India's policy towards Bangladesh. The BJP made preventing illegal infiltration and border security a key issue during the assembly elections in West Bengal. Following this, discussions have intensified in political circles that a tougher stance against Bangladeshi illegal immigrants may be taken at the Central and State levels.
On Thursday, the Ministry of External Affairs again strongly raised the issue of deporting illegal Bangladeshis living in India, urging India to expedite their return. This initiative comes in response to recent comments by Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman, who feared a "pushback" after the Bengal elections. India has been trying to warm up bilateral relations since Tariq Rahman's BNP government came to power in Bangladesh in February 2026.
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Nationality Verification By Bangladesh Is Core Issue In Delay Of Deportation
When asked about the Bangladesh Foreign Minister's statement, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "These comments should be seen in the context of the core issue of deporting illegal Bangladeshis from India, which requires Bangladesh's cooperation. More than 2,862 cases of nationality verification are pending in Bangladesh, some of which have been pending for more than five years.
"Our policy is to deport all illegal foreigners living in India in accordance with our laws, procedures, and established bilateral arrangements. We hope that Bangladesh will expedite the nationality verification of its citizens so that those living illegally can be deported easily," he explained.
No Cooperation From Bangladesh
The MEA said the Bangladesh government's approach to deporting illegal immigrants has always been very lax. Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was considered a supporter of India, but even during her tenure, India sent cases related to illegal immigration, but they remained unanswered.
Over the past five years, India has received no response from all the cases it sent for verification. In many cases, illegal Bangladeshi nationals have completed their prison sentences but could not be deported due to lack of nationality verification. This issue has long been a sensitive aspect of India-Bangladesh relations.
Complaints of infiltration continue to surface from various locations along the 4,096-kilometre-long India-Bangladesh border, particularly in Bengal and Assam. In the Bengal elections, the BJP took a tough stance on illegal infiltration and promised to pursue issues such as the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
What Is Home Ministry's Stand?
The Home Ministry recently issued a new policy for the identification, detention, and deportation of illegal immigrants, which includes the creation of Special Task Force (STF)s in every district and monthly reporting. India's clear stance is that all illegal foreign nationals will be deported as per the law, but this requires Bangladesh's active cooperation.
Despite efforts to improve relations with the Tariq Rahman government, the issue of illegal migration remains a major point of diplomatic discussion between the two countries. The Ministry of External Affairs has clarified that the deportation process will be completed through bilateral arrangements.
(With Jagran.com inputs)