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Indian police have detained 1,024 Bangladeshi migrants during a major crackdown in the western state of Gujarat, reportedly targeting individuals living in the country without legal documentation, the state government announced on Saturday.
The Indian government, led by Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has frequently characterised undocumented Bangladeshi migrants as “Muslim infiltrators,” alleging they pose a security threat to the nation.
Rights groups, however, argue that such rhetoric is politically motivated, designed to consolidate support among India’s majority Hindu population ahead of elections.
“Police forces collectively detained 1,024 illegal Bangladeshi nationals during an overnight operation,” the Gujarat government said in a statement on Saturday, April 26, 2025.
The state’s Home Minister, Harsh Sanghavi, had earlier issued a two-day ultimatum for remaining undocumented Bangladeshi nationals to surrender voluntarily, the statement added.
Authorities are also investigating a network allegedly operating out of West Bengal, accused of producing counterfeit identity documents to facilitate the illegal stay of Bangladeshi nationals.
The detained individuals are expected to be deported following legal proceedings, according to the government.
Police further alleged that preliminary investigations had linked some of the detainees to criminal activities, including drug trafficking, human trafficking, and other unlawful operations.
India’s porous border with Bangladesh has, over the decades, enabled the entry of millions of Bangladeshi migrants into the country, often leading to political tension.
Relations between India and Bangladesh have deteriorated significantly since a revolution in Dhaka last August ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, a long-standing ally of New Delhi.
Hasina, now living in exile in India, has resisted extradition requests from the new Bangladeshi government to face charges including mass murder.
