Authorities in Tamil Nadu on Friday, 20 March 2026, initiated the deportation process of 33 Bangladeshi nationals who had been detained in Salem district for residing in India without valid documentation, as reported in The Hindu.
According to police officials, the group was transported from Tiruchirappalli Railway Station aboard the Tiruchi–Howrah Super Fast Express. A separate coach was attached to the train for the detainees, who are being escorted by a special team of the Tamil Nadu Police, with logistical support from the Railway Protection Force.
Officials stated that upon arrival in West Bengal, the detainees will be handed over to the Border Security Force, which will oversee their repatriation to Bangladesh through designated border points.
The deportation forms part of an ongoing nationwide exercise initiated by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs to identify and remove foreign nationals residing in India without valid travel documents. Railway authorities indicated that coordination had been established with security personnel along the route to ensure the secure transfer of the detainees.
Tamil Nadu has, in recent years, intensified efforts to detect and deport undocumented foreign nationals. The State government constituted a Special Task Force to address the issue, following directives from the Union Home Ministry to all States and Union Territories to establish district-level mechanisms for identification and deportation.
Three detention centres are currently operational in the State at Tiruchirappalli, Cheyyar, and Attur, where suspected undocumented migrants are housed pending verification and deportation procedures.
Sources indicated that enforcement activity gained momentum following Operation Sindoor, a coordinated initiative under which several undocumented Bangladeshi nationals identified across multiple States were detained and transferred to border authorities. A significant number of such individuals had reportedly been residing in States along the India–Bangladesh border, including Assam, Tripura, Meghalaya, and Gujarat.
#WATCH | Tamil Nadu | A total of 33 Bangladeshi nationals who were lodged in the special refugee camp at Attur in Salem district were deported from Tiruchirappalli.
According to officials, the individuals had been detained in connection with various cases and for residing in… pic.twitter.com/3cVMnDQgi9
— ANI (@ANI) March 20, 2026
In Tamil Nadu, officials estimate that several thousand undocumented migrants, primarily from Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, may be residing in western districts such as Erode, Namakkal, Tiruppur, Coimbatore, Salem, and Karur. Investigations have indicated that some individuals had secured employment in local industries and obtained identity and address proofs through forged documentation facilitated by intermediaries.
Authorities stated that verification drives and enforcement actions will continue as part of the broader effort to address illegal immigration.
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