India urges Bangladesh to speed up ‘nationality verification,’ denies border push-ins

India on Friday reiterated that it follows a structured bilateral mechanism for the deportation of "illegal Bangladeshi nationals" and urged Bangladesh to expedite pending “nationality verification requests.”

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal made the remarks amid renewed tensions in the border area as India’s Border Security Force (BSF) keeps flouting international laws by attempting to push people across the border.

Responding to questions during the weekly media briefing, Jaiswal projected a “firm stance” regarding the broader issue of illegal migration. Addressing the situation, he reiterated that India has established “bilateral mechanisms for the repatriation of foreign nationals.”

Jaiswal said, "As I have told you before also, all foreign nationals in India, if they are here illegally, including those from Bangladesh, we have laws to deal with them, and they'll be dealt with accordingly."

His remarks came as Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) claimed that it has "thwarted" 10 alleged BSF "push-in" attempts along different sections of the India-Bangladesh border.

Addressing the issue of deportations, Jaiswal stressed that India follows a formal bilateral process that requires confirmation of nationality by the Bangladeshi authorities before any deportation can take place.

"As far as the deportation of these people is concerned, there is a bilateral mechanism in place. Once we refer these cases to the Bangladeshi side for them to verify the nationality of these people and once it is verified, then we take forward the deportation process," he said.

The MEA spokesperson also pointed to delays in the verification process, indicating that several requests sent by India remain pending with Bangladesh. "We have several or many of these requests which are still pending with the Bangladeshi side and we hope and expect that they'll be expedited as soon as possible so that the deportation of people who are illegally staying in India can be taken forward smoothly and efficiently," Jaiswal added.

Earlier, on Thursday, the BGB issued a statement claiming that it had prevented 10 separate illegal "push-in" attempts allegedly carried out by the Border Security Force (BSF) in various border areas over 24 hours.

The BGB alleged a series of intense standoffs across several districts, including Jhenaidah, Jessore, and Panchagarh. In a notable incident in Jhenaidah's Samanta border area, the BGB alleged that BSF personnel attempted to move 30-35 individuals into Bangladesh via a prison van, only to be forced to retreat following resistance from BGB patrols and local residents. Other incidents involved the reported assembly of individuals near the border in areas like Joypurhat and Netrokona, with the BGB maintaining heightened vigilance to prevent unauthorised crossings.

The Bangladeshi force further said that intelligence gathering, patrolling, and operational activities had been strengthened across the border.

It said, "BGB unequivocally states that no individual or group will be allowed to enter Bangladesh illegally through the border. Any push-in attempt violating international border management, existing laws, and bilateral understandings will be strictly resisted. BGB's intelligence surveillance, patrolling, and operational activities have been intensified across the borders. BGB remains firmly committed to protecting the sovereignty and border security of the country and is fully prepared to tackle any situation."