Like Delhi’s smog situation makes headlines every year during winter, the issue of illegal Rohingya and Bangladeshi immigrants also gains traction in the election season — about every five years.
And, that time is here once again. In the run-up to the Delhi assembly polls, due in February 2025, the political slugfest is reaching its crescendo as the polling month nears. However, this time, amid accusations and counter-accusations, administrative and policing actions have been initiated against the undocumented immigrants.
Police crackdown
The Delhi Police has ramped up efforts to identify, detain, and repatriate Bangladeshi immigrants residing in the national capital without valid documentation. This action comes amid rising concerns over the presence of undocumented foreign nationals in the city.
According to police, dedicated teams have been deployed to carry out operations targeting illegal immigrants.
“In response to growing concerns about the illegal stay of Bangladeshi migrants residing in the country without any valid Indian documents, the Outer District Police has stepped up efforts to identify, detain, and repatriate individuals living in the national capital without valid documentation,” the statement read.
In recent weeks, the Delhi Police conducted a series of operations and joint inspections across various localities. Special units, including District Foreigner Cell officials, were mobilised to carry out door-to-door checks and gather intelligence.
During these operations, 175 persons were identified as being under suspicion of residing illegally. Detailed interrogations were conducted, and their documents were thoroughly scrutinised and verified. Additionally, teams were dispatched to the individuals’ native places to cross-check their identities in coordination with local police in those regions.
Cops have also deported 16 Bangladeshi nationals in December so far after they were found to be living in the capital.
In December, the Delhi Police arrested four Bangladeshi nationals and seven Indian accomplices for their involvement in a racket of creating fake Aadhaar cards. This development highlights the operational sophistication of groups aiding illegal immigrants in obtaining forged Indian identification documents.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Ankit Chauhan disclosed that the gang’s activities were uncovered during an investigation into the murder of Sentu Seikh, alias Raja, in Sangam Vihar on October 21.
Among those arrested were Bangladeshi nationals Midul Miyan (alias Akash Ahmed), Fardeen Ahmed (alias Abhi Ahmed), and their wives. The accused admitted during interrogation that they had entered India illegally and had been residing in Sangam Vihar for several years.
“The accused revealed that the victim, Sentu, had been harassing them over minor disputes. Police recovered Bangladeshi ID cards, birth certificates, and various forged Indian documents, including 21 Aadhaar cards, four voter ID cards, and eight PAN cards, from Sentu’s residence,” said the DCP.
Further investigations led the police to apprehend Sahil Sehgal, the proprietor of “Poonam Online Computer Centre” in Rohini. Sehgal confessed to creating fake Aadhaar cards using fraudulent documents, often provided by illegal immigrants.
The racket utilised a fraudulent website, “Jantaprints.site,” to generate counterfeit birth certificates, which were subsequently used to secure Aadhaar cards. Sehgal collaborated with associates Ranjit and Afroz, the latter being an authorised Aadhaar operator at Karnataka Bank in Rohini. Both were arrested and admitted to their roles in the forgery network.
Payments for these fake documents were traced to Mohammad Chand, who facilitated transactions via Paytm and retained a commission before transferring the funds to Saddam Hussain. Both Chand and Hussain were arrested.
The investigation also revealed that “Jantaprints.site” was managed by Deepak Mishra, who ran the operation alongside his brother-in-law, Sonu Kumar. Mishra admitted during questioning that Kumar had developed additional fake-document websites, such as “Portalwale.com” and “Portalwale.online,” after learning the skills through YouTube tutorials. Kumar was apprehended in Noida, where he operated a cyber café.
The accused exploited loopholes in the Aadhaar system to issue fraudulent cards. Initially, they focused on creating Aadhaar cards for minors under 18, as these required fewer verifications. Cards for adults over 18 were more challenging to forge due to stricter processing requirements at designated centres.
The crackdown on illegal immigrants and the exposure of the forgery network have added fuel to the ongoing political debate between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
Tougher admission norms
Amidst the ongoing crackdown, authorities in the capital have issued directives to prevent the enrolment of unauthorised Bangladeshi migrants in schools and ensure stricter verification processes during birth registrations. These measures are part of a broader crackdown initiated earlier this month following instructions from Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena to identify and take action against illegal immigrants across the city.
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), in an order dated December 18, instructed its departments and zonal heads to conduct drives to identify undocumented Bangladeshi migrants in municipal schools and remove their encroachments. The Education Department has been tasked with implementing thorough verification processes during student admissions and identifying currently enrolled illegal migrants. Similarly, the Public Health Department has been directed to ensure no birth certificates are issued to illegal migrants and to verify existing registrations. Action Taken Reports (ATRs) on these drives are to be submitted weekly, as per the order.
In parallel, the Delhi government on December 23 directed all government and private schools to enhance scrutiny during admissions to prevent illegal Bangladeshi migrants from enrolling. A circular issued by Deputy Director of Education Sanjay Subhas Kumar emphasised the need for stricter verification of documentation, urging schools to inform authorities if a student’s citizenship is in doubt. Weekly reports on cases where citizenship status is unverified have to be submitted by district and zonal education officials.
Education Department officials have also briefed schools about the changes effective from the 2025-26 academic session. Schools have been advised to rely on documents like Aadhaar and voter ID cards as primary identity proofs, moving away from practices like accepting affidavits for date of birth verification.
This intensified scrutiny has sparked concerns among education experts, with former Director of Education Y P Purang pointing out that the Right to Education (RTE) Act mandates admission for all children. He questioned the feasibility of schools verifying the authenticity of documents like Aadhaar cards, suggesting this responsibility should lie with law enforcement.
Spotlight on shelter homes
The ongoing drive against the undocumented has also severely impacted the homeless population, as stringent identification requirements are barring them from accessing shelter homes during a harsh coldwave. Over 20 civil rights groups and NGOs have raised concerns about the humanitarian crisis emerging from these measures.
The Delhi-based NGO, Centre for Holistic Development, has written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, highlighting how individuals without proper identification are being denied entry into shelter homes. Executive Director Sunil Aledia stated that verbal orders from Delhi Police to shelter home operators have led to this exclusion. He emphasised that for years, judicially monitored committees had overseen shelter operations and never reported misuse of these facilities.
In their appeal, civil rights groups noted that homeless individuals often lack Aadhaar cards or mobile phones due to their precarious living conditions, making the requirement discriminatory. They pointed out that such exclusions during Delhi’s coldest winter in 14 years—where temperatures have dipped as low as 4.9°C—violate the right to life and dignity under Article 21 of the Constitution.
Activists also flagged the malfunctioning of the “Rain Basera” mobile application, launched nine years ago by the Delhi government to assist homeless individuals. The app, designed to facilitate immediate rescues and shelter allocations, is reportedly unavailable on app stores, further limiting assistance to vulnerable populations.
The Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB), which operates 197 permanent shelter homes with a capacity of 7,092 people, has set up an additional 250 temporary shelters under its winter action plan. However, activists argue these efforts are undermined by the exclusionary policies.
Civil rights groups have urged DUSIB to issue clear instructions to shelter operators, ensuring that no homeless person is denied entry due to the lack of identity documents. They cited the Supreme Court’s directives in 2010 and 2012, mandating states to provide shelter and food to homeless individuals as part of their right to life. They also referred to the National Urban Livelihoods Mission’s policy, which guarantees access to permanent shelters with basic amenities.
The groups stressed that immediate corrective measures are needed to prevent further loss of life during the coldwave and restore the intended purpose of shelter homes as a refuge for the city’s most vulnerable.
War of words
The ruling party, AAP, and the main opposition party in the Delhi assembly, BJP, have been accusing each other of settling illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and Myanmar in the national capital.
The Delhi unit of the BJP has been claiming that AAP leaders, including Raghav Chadha and Manish Sisodia, are supporting the illegal immigrants as they have a voter base in their settlements. That is why they are objecting to the deletion of Rohingya and Bangladeshi voters from the electoral roll at the behest of former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar said AAP is supporting the “infiltrators” and the leaders of the Congress should understand that today people across the country from Haridwar to Haldwani to Shimla and Mandi have risen to protest against infiltrators.
He said AAP leaders supporting Rohingya infiltrators voters should understand that every statement of theirs pushes them further away from the citizens of the country.
Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta has demanded the identification, prevention, and expulsion of Rohingya intruders. Gupta has also written a letter to Chief Minister Atishi, expressing deep concern over the illegal encroachment of city streets and footpaths by alleged Rohingya intruders and demanding their immediate removal.
In the letter, Gupta stated that the assistance provided by the Aam Aadmi Party to the illegal settlers has caused serious concern not just among the citizens of Delhi but across the country. He accused the AAP government of violating the Constitution and compromising national security by encouraging such illegal activities through its support of Rohingya intruders, thereby threatening the integrity of democracy.
He emphasised that the encroachment of public roads, footpaths, and parks by Rohingyas under the AAP government’s administrative oversight poses a severe threat to national security. He further expressed concern over the issuance of voter cards to these illegal immigrants based on forged documents. Gupta alleged that legitimising their presence and granting them democratic rights intended for Indian citizens amounts to a betrayal of the nation.
He questioned the AAP government’s silence on these illegal activities by Rohingyas, accusing it of a calculated political strategy to appease a specific vote bank at the cost of national security. Granting voter IDs to illegal immigrants, he said, not only violates the law but also directly undermines the sanctity of the electoral system. Gupta criticised the AAP government’s support for Rohingyas as an attempt to destabilise the social system of Delhi and the country.
Gupta warned Chief Minister Atishi that compromising national security for political gain will not be tolerated. The BJP will strongly oppose any efforts to legitimise these illegal immigrants. He asserted that the people of Delhi would not tolerate a government that compromises their security, resources, and democratic rights.
The LoP demanded that the AAP government immediately put a stop to these activities, take strict action against illegal encroachments by Rohingyas, and ensure that no unauthorised person is issued voter cards. He cautioned that if the AAP government fails to prevent these illegal activities and take strict action against them, the BJP will not remain silent and will raise this issue at legal, administrative, and public forums.
Gupta also stated that the people of Delhi are closely observing the AAP’s actions and will soon show them the mirror during the assembly elections, reducing the party to a mere chapter in history.
The AAP, in its reply, has tried to turn the table by labelling the BJP’s stand on the issue as “hypocrisy.” The party asked if the BJP was serious about taking action against illegal Bangladeshis and Rohingyas, what they have been doing for the past 10 years.
Kejriwal’s party has even shared a 2022 tweet from BJP leader and Union Minister Hardeep Puri. As per the tweet, he stated that Rohingya refugees would be shifted to EWS flats in the Bakkarwala area of Delhi and provided with basic amenities, UNHCR IDs, and round-the-clock Delhi Police protection.
The AAP said that if the BJP truly wanted to act against illegal migrants, why haven’t they taken action in Bakkarwala, where their government settled Rohingyas? The BJP has settled Bangladeshis and Rohingyas, but instead of addressing that, they are harassing hardworking and honest people from UP, Bihar, and Purvanchal who contribute to Delhi’s growth.
The AAP MP remarked, “Union Minister Hardeep Puri and Home Minister Amit Shah know exactly where the illegal migrants are. They settled them in Bakkarwala, in the EWS colonies. If the BJP genuinely wanted to take action against illegal migrants, they should start there. Bangladeshis and Rohingyas have been settled in Bakkarwala with full knowledge of the BJP. The same BJP that now claims to take action has had the power since 2022 but hasn’t deported these migrants. Instead, they gave them 24-hour Delhi Police protection, calling it a ‘landmark decision.’”
