India deports 13 Bangladeshi nationals; verification ongoing

The Indian government has reported that 13 Bangladeshi nationals have been deported back to Bangladesh. This announcement was made during a Supreme Court hearing on March 21, 2025. The Supreme Court is overseeing the verification of illegal immigrants held in detention centers in Assam. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta explained that the verification process involves confirming the detainees’ citizenship with the Bangladesh High Commission. This is necessary because deportation requires confirmation that individuals are indeed Bangladeshi. Mehta mentioned that a document regarding the nationality status of the detainees was sent to the Ministry of External Affairs in mid-February. The court has set a deadline until the end of April for the government to continue this verification process. The Supreme Court has asked the Assam government to provide an update on the status of these verification efforts by the next hearing, scheduled for May 6. Previously, the court criticized the Assam government for keeping individuals deemed as foreigners in detention without taking action to deport them.