Mass deportation of undocumented migrants using IAF flights follows intensified crackdown after Pahalgam attack
As many as 160 undocumented migrants from Bangladesh, including women and children, were flown from Ghaziabad to Agartala on May 25, 2025, aboard an Indian Air Force plane before being sent across the border to Bangladesh, a senior government official told The Hindu. These migrants had been detained during a recent Delhi Police drive targeting illegal immigrants in outer Delhi. The government is accelerating deportations to avoid the lengthy legal process, reported thehindu.com.
Special flights and border push-backs have become part of a wider government campaign to tackle illegal migration, especially after the Pahalgam terror attack.
Since the terror attack on April 22, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has ordered states to intensify efforts against undocumented migrants from Bangladesh and Myanmar.
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Over 500 migrants have been sent back via the eastern border in the past month
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Notably, on May 17, around 140 undocumented migrants from Rajasthan were flown to Agartala on an Air India plane and deported to Bangladesh
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Earlier, on May 4, two Air India planes carried 300 undocumented migrants, including 200 women and children, from Gujarat to Agartala for deportation
Systematic identification and biometric tracking form core of the government’s deportation strategy.
The Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) coordinates with police and the Border Security Force (BSF) to manage detainees. Migrants detained across India are held in centers such as Bakkarwala and Inderlok in Delhi. Their biometrics are recorded and shared with the Ministry of Home Affairs to cancel fraudulent Indian documents and blacklist them from obtaining new IDs such as Aadhaar. This prevents repeat illegal entries.
Bangladesh reacts to ‘push-back’ strategy, warns against forced returns.
On May 26, Brigadier General Md. Nazim-ud-Daula of Bangladesh’s Military Operations Directorate said the “push-ins” by India are unacceptable, but affirmed the Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) are managing the situation within international protocols. The Bangladesh Army stands ready to intervene if necessary.
Following political changes in Bangladesh in August 2024, India has ramped up its crackdown on illegal immigrants to secure its borders.
The intensified action reflects concerns over national security after the Pahalgam terror attack and political shifts in Bangladesh. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has requested Bangladesh to verify the nationality of 2,369 suspected illegal migrants to facilitate deportations, some of which have been pending for over five years.
