Approximately 2,000 immigrants have voluntarily returned to Bangladesh owing to the fear of detention.
On May 7, Indian officials marked the launching date of a large-scale covert operation, Sindoor, to border and terminate Bangladeshi immigrant activities within Tripura, Meghalaya, and Assam, and extending as far as Gujarat, Delhi, and Haryana. More than 2000 alleged undocumented immigrants have already been taken into custody, and an additional almost 2000 deported voluntarily due to fear of being detained.
The covert operation escalated in the aftermath of the April attacks, with much stricter verification and capture policies and systems put in place in the regions that had urban and economic centers. Indian Air Force planes usually ferry deportees to staging areas located at border camps. They are surrendered to patrol units, kept temporarily in camps, and then returned to Bangladesh within a few hours.
While some people see intent focus on the BJP-ruled states, operational practicality remains the control within state outlines, further exacerbated by the West Bengal omissions due to complicated border lines and potential law and order concerns. There has been relative calm between Indian border and Bangladeshi forces when dealing with the deported limbs, as the majority of the funded laborers had sought some escape vessel from detention.
Nevertheless, such measures are deemed inadequate and inefficient in the long run, which has raised the need for a biometric integration immigration system with a thorough cross-departmental immigration database to avert future waves of repeated illegal immigration.
- 🏞️ Understanding operational focus drives through the Geographical and logistical factors: Comparatively, Tripura, Meghalaya, and Assam have straighter and simpler border lines, which facilitate easier deportation compared to West Bengal, where the border runs—quite literally—through villages and houses, thus heightening the likelihood of social unrest. This integrates the role of geography in the running and managing of borders and the geography of a region.
- 🤲 Repatriation is voluntary but demonstrates the detainee’s desperation: Most deported persons qualify as impoverished workers who do not have diplomas, prisons, or legal advisors, thus voluntarily preferring to return rather than be detained or incarcerated. This introduces the social-economic weaknesses of these undocumented immigrants and emphasizes that enforcement actions move beyond mere power, targeting vulnerable groups.
- 🛫 Military logistics streamline the deportation process: It is faster and easier for deportation operations to be carried out with the control of the Indian Air Force. Their aircraft provides military grade assistance for internal security and border management operations.
🔐 The integration of biometric data as a strategic evolution: The government’s initiative to consolidate biometric data capture and centralize immigration data reflects an enforcement-technology-driven shift. Having more data is likely to improve identification and deterrence, but what about data privacy and humane treatment of immigrants?
To put everything into context, “Operation Sindoor” is an extensive and concerted effort to militarily manage the illegal immigration of Bangladeshis into India, using logistical, technological, and agency synergies. This isn’t a sustainable long-term tactic, however—this deport and return cycle drives home why there needs to be a holistic approach to immigration along with true cross-border cooperation.