New Delhi, June 5: India has reaffirmed its stance on illegal migrants, stating that legal action will be taken against all foreign nationals residing unlawfully in the country, including those from Bangladesh. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced that the process to repatriate illegal Bangladeshi migrants will commence once the citizenship verification process is completed.
During a weekly media briefing in New Delhi, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal emphasized that a clear legal framework exists to address the issue of illegal foreign nationals in India. He stated, “If any foreign national is residing illegally in India, regardless of their nationality, action will be taken under the law. There is a bilateral mechanism in place for the deportation of such individuals.”
Jaiswal explained that India refers cases of suspected illegal migrants to Bangladesh for nationality verification. The deportation process is initiated only after this verification is completed. He noted that several cases are still pending with Bangladeshi authorities, and India hopes for prompt action to facilitate the smooth and effective repatriation of illegal residents.
Last week, the Ministry also reported that it had sent over 2,680 cases of suspected illegal Bangladeshi nationals to Bangladesh for verification. According to Jaiswal, once citizenship is confirmed, India will begin the repatriation process under the existing bilateral framework.
He added, “Requests for nationality verification for over 2,680 cases have been sent to Bangladesh. After verification, we will be in a position to deport these Bangladeshi nationals.” The spokesperson also mentioned that in many instances, the verification process has been pending for over five years. India expects Bangladesh to respond swiftly to resolve these issues, enabling the repatriation of illegal residents under the current arrangements.
The Indian government asserts that all actions regarding illegal migration are in accordance with existing laws and bilateral agreements.
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