Maharashtra has deported 2,376 illegal Bangladeshi nationals last year after the Union government, through a circular issued in May, allowed states to directly deport identified foreign nationals without registering FIRs or completing court proceedings, Minister of State for Home Yogesh Kadam told the Legislative Council on Saturday.
The figure marks a steep rise compared to the previous four years and comes after what Kadam described as a shift from prosecution-led deportation to an expedited administrative process once nationality is established through evidence.
Replying to a Calling Attention notice moved during the budget session by BJP MLC Pravin Darekar over the issue of Bangladeshi nationals in Mumbai, Kadam said that earlier, illegal foreign nationals were first arrested, an FIR registered, prosecution initiated and, after conviction, deported as per law.
“Now, once such nationals are traced and we have evidence that they are Bangladeshi nationals, they can be directly handed over to the Border Security Force without registering FIRs and without going through the entire court procedure,” he said.
Placing five-year data before the House, Kadam said 109 Bangladeshi nationals were deported in 2021, 77 in 2022, 127 in 2023 and 202 in 2024. In 2025, the number rose sharply to 2,376.
He said the increase followed intensified intelligence-based operations across the state under the leadership of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Every police station in Maharashtra has constituted a five-member special team to trace illegal foreign nationals. Local police units are working in coordination with the Anti-Terrorism Squad to conduct verification drives and targeted raids in identified areas.
Combing operations are being undertaken wherever required, Kadam said, adding that a Special Task Force would be constituted if necessary to further strengthen the drive.
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Separate data tabled in the council showed that in Mumbai, 104 cases were registered in 2025 against illegal Bangladeshi nationals and 372 persons were arrested during special drives.
Kadam said that during the year, 1,062 people were deported from Mumbai. So far this year, 27 persons have been deported, while 248 are currently in custody pending verification and further action.
Mumbai Police, including the Crime Branch and ATS, have been conducting checks in slum clusters, coastal belts, railway station areas and market precincts, the House was informed.
Kadam also announced that Rs 20 crore has been sanctioned for setting up a detention centre in the state to house foreign nationals awaiting deportation. The tender process has been completed. The facility will provide dedicated infrastructure to hold individuals pending formal handover and deportation.
The Calling Attention notice had flagged concerns over alleged illegal settlements, unauthorised hawking and the use of forged Indian identity documents such as Aadhaar cards, voter IDs, PAN cards, birth certificates and ration cards.
Responding to these concerns, the government said document scrutiny has been intensified and cases are registered wherever forged documents are detected. Construction companies have been directed to submit details of workers to local police stations, making labour verification mandatory. Action is being taken against contractors who fail to comply.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has also carried out enforcement drives. Between January and December 2025, action was taken against over 1.20 lakh unauthorised hawkers and fines amounting to Rs 1.56 crore were recovered, as per the data placed before the House.
West Bengal link flagged
During the discussion, Kadam also claimed that many of those identified allegedly procured identity documents in West Bengal before moving to Maharashtra. He said it wasn’t the case that these nationals entered Maharashtra directly.
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“They first enter into West Bengal, procure duplicate documents from there and then they come to Maharashtra. It has been revealed that almost all documents are procured from WB and agents are also from WB,” Kadam said.
It was important that such activities be controlled at the source and called for greater inter-state coordination. Appealing to citizens to report suspicious movements, Kadam said the state would not compromise on internal security and that action against illegal infiltration would continue in accordance with the May circular and established verification procedures.
Vallabh Ozarkar is a Senior Correspondent with The Indian Express' Mumbai bureau, recognized as an authoritative and deeply knowledgeable voice on the politics, governance, and infrastructure of Maharashtra. With more than nine years of experience in major news organizations, his reporting delivers high standards of Expertise and Trustworthiness.
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