NEW DELHI: At a time when the government is aggressively identifying and deporting illegal Bangladeshi immigrants, the Border Security Force (BSF) has revealed that it has, for three consecutive years, apprehended and repelled over 5,000 people belonging to the neighbouring country who tried to infiltrate into the Indian side of the borders falling in the eastern and north-eastern states.
Presenting year-wise details of those who attempted to enter India illegally from Bangladesh and were pushed back to their native country, BSF officials said that 2,406 such people were sent back in 2023. The number increased to 2,425 in 2024, and as of May 2025, it stood at 557.
They, however, noted that the state-wise break-up revealed a dramatically high number of such cases (2,688) in bordering areas falling under West Bengal. The TMC has consistently been criticised by the ruling BJP at the Centre.
The data showed that the numbers in border areas in South Bengal are disproportionately higher, with 2,410 people apprehended and sent back, whereas in North Bengal the number is meagre at 278 in three years.
The year-wise break-up for borders falling in West Bengal was 1,181 in 2023, 1,516 in 2024, and in 2025 (till March), it was 384. The next highest number of 1,679 people were pushed back to Bangladesh through borders in Mizoram.
The break-up for three years stood at 1,084 in 2023, which dropped to nearly half (519) in 2024 and in 2025 (till March), the number was 76. Incidentally, as per the BSF data, BJP-ruled Assam witnessed least numbers in attempted infiltrations and apprehension of illegal migrants from Bangladesh. Only 51 such people were pushed back to their country.
However, the BJP-ruled state, Tripura, witnessed third largest number (771) of attempted infiltrations for three years and the data also showed an increasing trend, as in 2024 it was 200, in 2024 it stood at 390 and in 2025 (till March) it was 181. The data for Meghalaya showed 199 such cases. In 2023, the number stood at 39, but jumped substantially in 2024 to 113 and in 2025 (till March) the number stood at 47, which is higher than the entire year of 2023.