The Delhi Police have deported 71 foreign nationals who were found living illegally in the city, officials said on Friday. These include 47 Bangladeshi citizens, 17 Rohingyas from Myanmar and 7 Nigerians. The action took place in May as part of an ongoing citywide crackdown on illegal immigrants and overstaying foreigners.
Police said the operation was launched after receiving information that many people were either staying in the country without valid visas or had entered India illegally. Several teams from the Dwarka district police — including the special staff, police stations at Uttam Nagar and Chhawla, the Anti-Narcotics Cell and the Anti-Auto Theft Squad — carried out the arrests.
“These people were found either living or roaming around different areas in Dwarka district without valid visas,” said Ankit Singh, the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Dwarka). “They were detained and sent to detention centres after being presented before the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO).”
Among the 71 people deported in May, the Special Staff team alone deported 38 individuals, while Uttam Nagar police deported 24. The Anti-Narcotics Cell deported six people, Chhawla police deported two, and one was deported by the AATS. All were booked under relevant sections and handed over to the FRRO, which then issued deportation orders.
On June 2, the North-West District Police arrested 18 Bangladeshi nationals who were found living illegally in Delhi.
The efforts have intensified since the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, where 26 people were killed. Since then, Delhi Police have been carrying out an urgent and focused drive to identify and remove illegal migrants from the city.
In just one month after the attack, police identified and deported around 470 illegal Bangladeshi migrants and 50 other foreigners who had overstayed their visas. Many of them were flown from Hindon airbase in Ghaziabad to Agartala in Tripura and then deported across the India-Bangladesh land border.
A senior police officer said the Ministry of Home Affairs had instructed Delhi Police late last year to begin verifying foreign nationals, especially illegal Bangladeshi migrants and Rohingyas. Between November 15, 2024, and April 20, 2025, police detained around 220 illegal migrants and 30 overstaying foreigners. These individuals were sent by train and road to the eastern states and deported to Bangladesh by land.
“After the Pahalgam attack, the pace picked up,” the officer said. “In the last month alone, three to four special flights were used to take illegal migrants to Agartala. In total, around 700 illegal foreign nationals have been deported to Bangladesh over the last six months.”
The police said this drive is part of an ongoing effort to strengthen national security. It includes checking identity documents, conducting surprise visits in vulnerable areas, and coordinating with authorities in northeastern States for the deportation process.
Officials also said all deportations are carried out legally and under FRRO supervision, ensuring proper procedure is followed and the rights of those being deported are respected.