Donald trump declared a state of emergency along the southern border between the united states and mexico just hours after assuming office as the 47th President of the united states on january 20. The united states has begun sending troops to the Mexican border on his instructions, claiming that this was done "to repel the disastrous invasion" of the United States. Additionally, trump has pledged to carry out the largest deportation campaign of illegal immigrants in American history.
The problem that india is facing is comparable to the American experience with illegal immigration. On a different scale, though, india has been battling these issues. bangladesh Border Guards (BGB) has stopped its endeavor to fence a portion of the Indo-Bangla edge. It would be enough to illustrate the scope of the issue with just one example. In addition to traveling 2,000 kilometers to reach india, an illegal immigrant from bangladesh broke into the home of star saif ali khan in a wealthy neighborhood in Mumbai.
Since bangladesh and india share a porous border of 4,096 kilometers, bangladesh is the primary source of the threat posed by illegal immigration to India. An estimated 20 million illegal immigrants live in india, according to a 2016 official estimate.
According to a July 2023 estimate, there are around 11.7 million unlawful, undocumented residents in the United States. This has been a top focus for trump, who made illegal immigration one of his main campaign topics.
On wednesday, the Pentagon said that 1,500 active-duty soldiers had begun to be stationed at its southern border. Additionally, trump has tried to deny birthright citizenship to children born in the united states to illegal or temporary migrants. According to Reuters, the new government has also increased local-level searches and raids in places with sizable immigrant populations.
"There are more illegally settled Bangladeshis in india than illegal aliens in the US," strategic thinker and pundit Brahma Chellaney said on X, highlighting the disparity between the US's actions and India's circumstances.
Vice President jagdeep dhankhar also brought attention to the scope and consequences of the "illegal migration of millions" into india on Tuesday. A major concern to india, he warned, is "demographic disruption," which has already reached "unmanageable dimensions."
Chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma claims that efforts to enter assam illegally have skyrocketed after the overthrow of bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina on august 5, which caused chaos in the nation. According to him, between august 2024 and january 2025, indian security authorities "pushed back around 1,000 illegal migrants" and imprisoned them.
INDIA FACES BANGLADESH'S RESISTANCE IN FENCING ITS BORDERS India's Central Border Security Force (BSF), tasked with guarding the border, stopping illicit activity, and fighting terrorism along the international border with bangladesh, encountered significant opposition when attempting to install barbed-wire barriers in january 2025 alone.
Tensions erupted two weeks ago in Malda, West Bengal, following a verbal dispute between BSF members and the Border Guard bangladesh (BGB) on India's ongoing fence project. Concerned, the BGB described the fencing as a "violation of a bilateral agreement."
India then called Bangladesh's Acting High Commissioner, Nural Islam, to discuss "security measures at the border, including on fencing" on january 13. indian High Commissioner pranay Verma had previously been called by Dhaka, who voiced "deep concern" over "recent activities of the BSF."
Following weeks of increased tensions, the Chandigarh-based The Tribune said on wednesday that both nations are currently negotiating a boundary dispute. The Daily Star, located in Dhaka, said that the BGB on tuesday stopped the BSF from erecting a barrier in Joypurhat's Panchbibi upazila, which borders the Dakshin Dinajpur district of West Bengal.
HOW MANY ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS IN INDIA? While Kiren Rijiju, minister of State for home Affairs in the Modi government, more recently estimated the number at about 20 million in 2016, Union minister of State for home Affairs Sriprakash jaiswal claimed in 2004 that 12 million illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators were residing in india under PM manmohan Singh's administration.
"Since the entry of such foreign nationals into the country is clandestine and surreptitious, it is not possible to collect accurate data of such illegal migrants living in various parts of the country," according to an affidavit filed by Union home Secretary ajay Kumar Bhalla in december 2023.
"The detection, detention, and deportation of such illegally staying foreign nationals is a complex, ongoing process," it stated.
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