India to Deal Strictly with Illegal Foreign Nationals, Including Bangladeshis; Urges Dhaka to Expedite Nationality Verification

New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday asserted that Indian laws will be strictly enforced against all foreign nationals staying illegally in the country, including those from Bangladesh, while calling on Dhaka to fast-track the verification of nationality for pending deportation cases.

MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal emphasized that the government has a clear legal framework to handle illegal immigrants. 

“Foreign nationals in India, if they are here illegally, including from Bangladesh, we have laws to deal with them and they’ll be accordingly dealt with,” Jaiswal said.

He outlined the standard deportation process under the existing bilateral mechanism between India and Bangladesh. According to the spokesperson, India refers suspected cases to Bangladeshi authorities for nationality verification. Once verification is completed, the deportation process moves forward.

However, Jaiswal highlighted delays on the Bangladeshi side, noting that “many of these requests are still pending.” He expressed hope that Dhaka would expedite the pending cases, enabling smoother and more efficient deportations of individuals illegally residing in India.

The statement comes amid ongoing concerns over illegal immigration, with the government maintaining that it remains committed to upholding the rule of law while following established diplomatic procedures with neighbouring countries.

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