Human Rights Watch Accuses India of Unlawful Deportations of Bengali-speaking Muslims

Human Rights Watch Accuses India of Unlawful Deportations of Bengali-speaking Muslims
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A recent report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) has accused the Indian government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), of unlawfully deporting hundreds of Bengali-speaking Muslims, including Indian citizens, to Bangladesh between May and June 2025, DW reported. The report highlights that these expulsions were carried out without proper verification of citizenship, violating due process and international human rights standards.

According to HRW, at least 1,500 men, women, and children were forcibly expelled, some subjected to physical abuse and the destruction of their identity documents. Many deported individuals were migrant workers from Indian states such as Assam and West Bengal. Some were later able to prove their Indian citizenship and were returned.

The Modi government has framed these actions as efforts to curb irregular migration, frequently labeling Bangladeshi immigrants as “infiltrators.” However, HRW criticizes the operations as discriminatory policies targeting Muslims for political gains, undermining India’s long-standing tradition of providing refuge to the persecuted.

The report calls for urgent respect for human rights and due process in immigration enforcement in India.