Criticising India’s deportation of “ethnic Bengali migrants” to Bangladesh, the Human Rights Watch on Thursday (July 24, 2025) said the exercise was being done “without following due process”. Such acts done to “garner political support” reflect the “broader discriminatory policies against Muslims”, it said in a statement.
Citing various news reports of Bengali migrants being picked up from “BJP-run States” such as Assam, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Odisha and Uttar Pradesh, Elaine Pearson, Asia director at Human Rights Watch said: “India’s ruling party BJP is fuelling discrimination by arbitrarily expelling Bengali Muslims from the country, including Indian citizens.”
India ‘pushing back’ Bangladeshis held without documents
The statement said the government should stop unlawfully deporting people without due process, and instead ensure everyone’s access to procedural safeguards against arbitrary detention and expulsion.
The body further said that it had interviewed 18 people in June, including affected individuals who returned to India after being expelled to Bangladesh, their family members, and relatives of those who were detained and are still missing. Subsequently, the body alleged that it had written to the Ministry of Home Affairs with its findings but did not receive any response.
