Decoded: Unprecedented ‘reverse migration’ of Bangladeshi illegals

India is witnessing unprecedented scenes – of illegal Bangladeshi migrants heading towards bordering states in eastern India to ‘reverse migrate’ to Bangladesh. Reason? After years of illegal stay in India, and securing fake documents, they are facing the ‘3D’ action from India – Detect, Detain, Deport.

India has witnessed escalation in efforts to detect, detain and deport illegal Bangladeshi migrants since 2025. What began as a coordinated verification exercise following directions from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has evolved into one of the largest anti-infiltration campaigns undertaken by multiple states simultaneously. The crackdown has involved deportations, pushback operations, detention centres, voter-list verification exercises and investigations into extensive fake document networks that enabled illegal infiltrators to remain in India for years. Alongside official deportations, authorities have also reported a substantial increase in voluntary departures or ‘reverse migration’ as stricter verification mechanisms came into force.