India deports nearly 5,000 Bangladeshis from West Bengal

WEB DESK: Indian authorities have deported almost 5,000 Bangladeshi nationals from the eastern border state of West Bengal since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured a landslide victory in state elections last month, according to official figures.

The BJP, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, campaigned on a tough stance against illegal immigration, vowing to “detect, delete and deport” undocumented migrants, according to AFP.

Upon assuming power, the new state government under Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari moved swiftly to establish detention centres across districts to hold Bangladeshi nationals and Rohingya refugees lacking proper documentation.

Crackdown on ‘infiltrators’

Speaking in Kolkata on Sunday, Adhikari said 4,800 Bangladeshi citizens had already been deported. Another 836 individuals are currently held in detention facilities, with arrangements underway for their imminent removal.

“We have started the work of deporting Bangladeshi infiltrators who do not fall under the purview of the Citizenship Amendment Act,” he stated, adding that holding centres had been set up in all districts in May.

The deportations come amid longstanding sensitivities over migration across the porous India-Bangladesh border, where movement has historically been driven by economic factors and familial ties. Senior Indian officials have in the past described such migrants as “termites” and “infiltrators”.

Rights concerns and diplomatic thaw

Critics argue that the BJP’s policies and rhetoric have heightened marginalisation of India’s Muslim community, which numbers over 200 million, by blurring the lines between religious identity and illegal immigration.

Rights groups have previously raised alarms over summary pushbacks of Bengali-speaking Muslims into Bangladesh without adequate legal process.

Relations between India and Bangladesh deteriorated after the 2024 political upheaval in Dhaka that ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, a close ally of New Delhi. Ties have shown signs of recovery since a new government took office in February.

Border force chiefs from both countries are scheduled to meet in New Delhi on Monday. Bangladesh has meanwhile reported foiling several attempts at forced repatriation.