In a pre-dawn operation on 21 December 2025, Assam Police and the state’s Foreigners’ Tribunal deported 19 Bangladeshi nationals who had been detained for illegal stay. The group, escorted by paramilitary personnel, was handed over to Bangladeshi authorities at the Sutarkandi border post under protocols laid out in the 2015 India–Bangladesh Repatriation Agreement.
Assam’s Home Department said the migrants were found working in brick kilns near Silchar without valid travel documents. Their cases had cleared all legal appeals earlier in December, enabling physical deportation. With this batch, Assam has repatriated 213 undocumented migrants in 2025, part of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s pledge to “make Assam infiltration-free.”
The move has domestic political overtones—border management is a core issue for the ruling BJP in northeast India. Critics from civil-society groups warn that rapid deportations risk separating families and overlook India’s obligations under international human-rights norms. The state counters that due process under the Foreigners Act was followed, including access to legal aid.
![Assam deports 19 undocumented migrants to Bangladesh in latest border sweep]()
Organizations navigating this tightening compliance environment may benefit from specialist visa support. VisaHQ, for example, offers real-time guidance, document checklists and end-to-end filing assistance for Indian business, employment and project visas, all accessible through https://www.visahq.com/india/.
For employers, the incident is a reminder to audit workforce documentation, especially in construction, agriculture and small manufacturing hubs that rely on migrant labour. Penalties for harbouring irregular migrants include fines and imprisonment under the amended Immigration & Foreigners Act 2025.
From a regional-mobility perspective, frequent low-volume deportations underscore the bureaucratic machinery India now has in place for cross-border identity verification. Companies moving Bangladeshi technicians or engineers into Indian plants should ensure they hold correct employment visas and are registered with the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) within 24 hours of arrival.
Assam’s Home Department said the migrants were found working in brick kilns near Silchar without valid travel documents. Their cases had cleared all legal appeals earlier in December, enabling physical deportation. With this batch, Assam has repatriated 213 undocumented migrants in 2025, part of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s pledge to “make Assam infiltration-free.”
The move has domestic political overtones—border management is a core issue for the ruling BJP in northeast India. Critics from civil-society groups warn that rapid deportations risk separating families and overlook India’s obligations under international human-rights norms. The state counters that due process under the Foreigners Act was followed, including access to legal aid.
Organizations navigating this tightening compliance environment may benefit from specialist visa support. VisaHQ, for example, offers real-time guidance, document checklists and end-to-end filing assistance for Indian business, employment and project visas, all accessible through https://www.visahq.com/india/.
For employers, the incident is a reminder to audit workforce documentation, especially in construction, agriculture and small manufacturing hubs that rely on migrant labour. Penalties for harbouring irregular migrants include fines and imprisonment under the amended Immigration & Foreigners Act 2025.
From a regional-mobility perspective, frequent low-volume deportations underscore the bureaucratic machinery India now has in place for cross-border identity verification. Companies moving Bangladeshi technicians or engineers into Indian plants should ensure they hold correct employment visas and are registered with the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) within 24 hours of arrival.
