150 Bangladeshi nationals airlifted from J&K to West Bengal for deportation

504 Bangladeshi nationals have been identified across the Union Territory’s 20 districts 458 in the Kashmir division and 46 in the Jammu division.

Jammu and Kashmir authorities on Monday deported 150 Bangladeshi nationals who were found residing in the Union Territory without valid documents, in a major action against illegal immigration.

The group was airlifted from Srinagar aboard a special Indian Air Force aircraft to Bagdogra Airport in West Bengal. Upon arrival,they were handed over to Border Security Force (BSF) personnel, who will complete the final stage of their repatriation across the India-Bangladesh border through designated points.

Police sources said the individuals were detained after verification established their illegal status. Officials described the operation as part of a sustained administrative drive to identify and repatriate Bangladeshi nationals living illegally in the region.

Bagdogra, which houses both a civil airport and an Indian Air Force station, has regularly served as a transit hub for similar deportations from other parts of the country. From there, the BSF processes the individuals for their return to Bangladesh.

504 Bangladeshi nationals identified across J&K

The latest action comes amid heightened official focus on the presence of foreign nationals in Jammu and Kashmir.

According to figures presented by the J&K administration to the Centre’s High-Level Committee on Demographic Change earlier this year, 504 Bangladeshi nationals have been identified across the Union Territory’s 20 districts 458 in the Kashmir division and 46 in the Jammu division.

The same data recorded 7,656 Rohingyas, many of them in the Jammu region.

Authorities have been lodging identified illegal immigrants in holding centres in accordance with the Deportation Manual 2025 issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs. The Foreigners Regional Registration Officers then process their repatriation.

Further operational details, including the exact locations in J&K where the 150 nationals were detained and the specific type of aircraft used, were not disclosed.

The operation involved coordinated efforts by the local police, the Indian Air Force and the BSF.

The deportation follows similar special flights organised in recent months from various Indian cities to border regions for the repatriation of undocumented Bangladeshi migrants.

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