The campaign follows a landslide electoral victory by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP in West Bengal, where the party pledged to “detect, delete and deport” illegal migrants.

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said on Sunday that 4,800 Bangladeshi citizens had already been deported after being held in newly established detention facilities across the state.

“We have started the work of deporting Bangladeshi infiltrators who do not fall under the purview of the Citizenship Amendment Act,” Adhikari told reporters in Kolkata.

He said the government established holding centers in every district during May and that a further 836 people were currently being held pending deportation.

India and Bangladesh share a long and porous border, and migration between the two countries has historically been driven by economic opportunities, family ties and cross-border cultural links.

The new state administration has also ordered detention measures for Rohingya refugees, members of a predominantly Muslim minority who fled persecution in neighboring Myanmar.

The deportation drive has renewed debate over immigration and citizenship in one of India’s most politically sensitive border regions.

Senior BJP leaders have frequently described undocumented migrants as “infiltrators,” arguing that illegal migration places pressure on public resources and alters demographic balances.

Critics, including civil rights advocates and opposition groups, contend that the government’s rhetoric and enforcement measures disproportionately affect Muslim communities and risk undermining due process protections. Human rights organizations have previously accused Indian authorities of forcibly expelling Bengali-speaking Muslims without adequate legal review.

The crackdown comes as diplomatic relations between India and Bangladesh continue to recover from tensions that emerged after the 2024 political upheaval in Dhaka, which ended the rule of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, a close partner of New Delhi.

A new government elected in Bangladesh in February has sought to stabilize ties with India. Border security chiefs from both countries are scheduled to meet in New Delhi on Monday to discuss cross-border issues, including migration and security cooperation.

The discussions took place during recent meetings of the bilateral Integrated Defense Dialogue in Washington, according to a South Korean defense ministry spokesperson, who said talks had made “progress” but denied reports suggesting the move would create joint or divided control of the Demilitarized Zone.

“It is not joint management. Nor is it divided management,” the spokesperson told reporters. “It is making DMZ management in some sections more realistic.”

The Demilitarized Zone, established under the 1953 armistice that halted the Korean War, remains one of the world’s most heavily armed borders. The conflict ended without a formal peace treaty, leaving the two Koreas technically still at war.

The United Nations Command, led by the United States, oversees the DMZ under the terms of the armistice agreement. Seoul said consultations with Washington were focused on technical and operational arrangements in certain sections of the border while respecting the authority of the UN Command.

The talks come amid renewed debate in South Korea over wartime operational control of allied forces. President Lee Jae Myung has pledged to seek the transfer of wartime command authority from Washington to Seoul during his presidency, which runs through 2030.

Under the current framework, the United States would command combined South Korean and U.S. forces in the event of war on the peninsula. Successive governments in Seoul, however, have sought greater military autonomy while maintaining the bilateral alliance.

The discussions also coincide with a broader recalibration in South Korea’s policy language toward North Korea. In its 2026 white paper, Seoul’s Unification Ministry described the two Koreas as effectively existing as separate states while reaffirming the long-term goal of reunification.

The shift reflects evolving security dynamics on the peninsula as North Korea continues expanding its missile and nuclear programs amid stalled diplomatic engagement with Washington and Seoul.