Over 1,000 Illegal Bangladeshi Immigrants Detained in Gujarat; Deportation Underway

Ahmedabad: More than 1,000 illegal Bangladeshi immigrants, including women and children, were detained following large-scale combing operations in Ahmedabad and Surat, Gujarat, Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi confirmed on Saturday. The operation, considered the largest of its kind in Gujarat, led to the detention of 890 individuals in Ahmedabad and 134 in Surat.

Sanghavi hailed the operation as a historic success and warned illegal immigrants residing in Gujarat to either surrender voluntarily or face arrest and deportation. He also issued a stern warning against individuals or groups providing shelter to illegal immigrants, stating that legal action would be taken against such facilitators.

“This is the biggest operation of the Gujarat Police against illegal immigrants,” Sanghavi told reporters in Surat, after a meeting with senior police officers via video-conferencing. He added that many of the detained individuals had used fake documents obtained from West Bengal to stay in India, eventually making their way to Gujarat.

The minister raised concerns about the involvement of some of the detainees in criminal activities, including drug trafficking, human trafficking, and terrorism. He cited a recent example where two out of four Bangladeshis arrested were linked to sleeper cells of Al-Qaeda. A thorough investigation into the backgrounds and activities of the detained immigrants is now underway, and deportation procedures are expected to be completed swiftly.

“We will also probe the fake documents they used to enter India and Gujarat, and action will be taken against those involved in producing these documents,” Sanghavi added.

The Gujarat government has also issued instructions to police forces across the state to continue taking action against illegal immigrants. Additionally, a directive was issued for Pakistani nationals to leave Gujarat, in accordance with a recent Cabinet Committee on Security decision.

Director General of Police (DGP) Vikas Sahay confirmed that the detained individuals are being interrogated, and their nationality is being verified using documentary evidence. Once their Bangladeshi origin is confirmed, the deportation process will begin in coordination with the Central Government and Border Security Force (BSF).

The simultaneous operation, which began at 3 am on Saturday, involved police working overnight in Ahmedabad and Surat to apprehend the illegal immigrants. The government also plans to share evidence with West Bengal authorities regarding the fake documents that enabled the detainees’ illegal stay in the country.