Around 150 Bangladeshi nationals detained in Jammu and Kashmir on allegations of residing without valid documents have been brought to West Bengal. Officials said they were flown from Srinagar to Bagdogra Airport on a special Indian Air Force aircraft. They were subsequently taken under tight security to a detention camp in Jalpaiguri district, where further legal and administrative procedures are being completed before their deportation to Bangladesh.
According to reports, the first batch of around 150 people was transferred from Jammu and Kashmir to West Bengal on Monday. Security arrangements were tightened after their arrival at Bagdogra Airport, and they were moved under the supervision of the relevant agencies. The process of handing them over to the Border Security Force (BSF) is underway. After that, the necessary formalities are to be completed through the Phulbari Immigration Centre before they are sent to Bangladesh.
The Jammu and Kashmir administration and police had conducted surveys and verification drives to establish the identities of these people and check their documents. According to officials, around 600 Bangladeshi nationals were identified in different parts of the Kashmir Valley during the exercise on allegations that they were residing there without valid documents. Information has also emerged that around 500 of them were detained. In the first phase, 150 people have been sent to West Bengal.
The stated objective of the operation is to identify foreign nationals residing illegally in Jammu and Kashmir and return them to their respective countries through the prescribed legal process. The administration first conducted identification and document verification before detaining the individuals concerned and initiating further proceedings. In such cases, repatriation proceedings are taken forward after verification of an individual's citizenship, documents and legality of their stay in India.
The movement of such a large group from Jammu and Kashmir to West Bengal on a special Indian Air Force aircraft is also significant from a security perspective. Instead of regular transportation, a special aircraft followed by vehicles operated by security forces was used to complete the process in a controlled and secure manner. Adequate security arrangements were also made for the movement from Bagdogra Airport to the detention camp.
West Bengal has an important role in the process because the state shares an international border with Bangladesh. After the people brought from Jammu and Kashmir are handed over to the relevant agencies in West Bengal, the process of sending them to Bangladesh can be completed through the designated immigration channels linked to the border. According to reports, preparations are underway for further action through the Phulbari Immigration Centre after the individuals are handed over to the BSF.
Officials said the verification exercise in Jammu and Kashmir was not confined to one or two areas. Documents of people living and working in various districts of the Kashmir Valley were checked. Reports said the police and administration had been working for several months to identify suspected foreign nationals and verify their documents. According to some reports, documents of workers associated with fruit orchards, brick kilns and construction work were also examined.
The verification exercise conducted by the Jammu and Kashmir Police also involved checking information related to Aadhaar cards and other identity documents. According to a report by ThePrint, the police had monitored and verified such migrants for several months. Further investigations were conducted when discrepancies were found in documents, and efforts were made to verify information relating to citizenship.
The operation is also being linked to the central government's broader study concerning illegal migration and demographic changes. The Ministry of Home Affairs has constituted a high-level committee to study illegal immigration in border areas and the demographic changes associated with it. The committee has been tasked with collecting information from states and Union territories on demographic changes over the past years and submitting its report on the issue.
The Jammu and Kashmir administration had also informed the committee that around 600 Bangladeshi nationals had been identified in different districts of the Union territory. However, the context of the figures may differ across reports, while several reports have stated that 150 people were sent to West Bengal in the latest operation as the first phase.
Officials said the people were first brought to West Bengal instead of being sent directly to Bangladesh so that the necessary formalities could be completed before cross-border repatriation. After the procedures relating to citizenship and documentation are completed, the relevant agencies will take steps to send them to Bangladesh. Their arrival in Bengal therefore does not mean that all of them were immediately sent across the border; the prescribed process remains to be completed.
According to reports, the group of 150 is the first batch. Other people may subsequently be brought to West Bengal in phases and then sent to Bangladesh. According to NDTV and other reports, another 150 Bangladeshi nationals were expected to be deported on October 7.
Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has raised questions over the sudden action. According to a report by The Indian Express, he said that the issue of foreign nationals residing illegally was separate, but the process of suddenly sending 150 people out appeared unusual to him. He also said it was necessary to understand the distinction between the role of the state administration in such cases and directions from the Centre.
The central government and security agencies have for a long time focused on document verification and border security in action against illegal migrants. The BSF and Bangladesh Border Guard have also been encouraged to increase coordination to prevent human trafficking and illegal immigration in areas along the India-Bangladesh border.
Several security and administrative agencies are involved in the operation from Jammu and Kashmir to West Bengal. Identification and verification were first conducted by the Jammu and Kashmir Police and administration. The detained individuals were then flown to Bagdogra on a special aircraft. After their arrival in West Bengal, the BSF and immigration authorities have a key role. The process of returning them to Bangladesh is to be completed after the required documentation and citizenship-related formalities.
An important aspect of the operation is that reports have used terms such as “illegal Bangladeshis” or “Bangladeshi nationals residing without valid documents” in the context of allegations by officials and administrative action. The final legal status of an individual is determined through the relevant documents and procedures conducted by competent authorities. The final decision for each person will therefore depend on the outcome of the identification and citizenship verification process.
Around 150 people are currently being held at a detention camp in Jalpaiguri. Security and monitoring arrangements have been put in place there. Preparations are underway to send them to Bangladesh through the designated centre linked to the border. Similar action against other suspected foreign nationals may also be taken in the coming days.
The transfer of Bangladeshi nationals from Jammu and Kashmir to West Bengal has attracted attention because the operation represents the reported movement of such a large group to another state by special aircraft. The actions of the Centre and security agencies are no longer limited to identification at the local level; the processes of verification, detention, transfer and repatriation are being carried out in phases.
The administration's current priority is to complete the identification and document verification of those detained and send them to Bangladesh through the prescribed legal process. The first batch of 150 people has already been brought to West Bengal, while information has emerged that the remaining people will also be moved in phases. The process is being monitored by the Centre, the Jammu and Kashmir administration, the BSF and immigration agencies.
