In a major crackdown on illegal immigration, police in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh detained 90 Bangladeshi nationals during a routine inspection drive in Khajpur village, under Nauhjheel police station limits. The drive aimed at verifying the identity and legal status of labourers working in the rural regions of the district. According to Shlok Kumar, the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Mathura, the inspection team discovered 35 men, 27 women, and 28 children, all Bangladeshi citizens residing and working at local kilns. “They claimed to have arrived in Mathura around 3-4 months ago, after residing in another nearby state. Their identities and backgrounds are currently under detailed investigation,” SSP Kumar said.
The detainees are being interrogated, and other intelligence and immigration agencies have been roped in to assist with the probe. Authorities suspect the group may have crossed into India illegally and possibly settled under false identities, a growing concern across several regions of Uttar Pradesh. This raid is part of a larger state-level program of detecting and expelling illegal foreign citizens, i.e., Bangladeshi and Rohingya intruders. The Uttar Pradesh state government, led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, has stepped up its campaign against illegal immigration, with orders to District Magistrates, SSPs, and Police Commissioners of each district to expedite verification processes.
Officials have also noted the increasing trend of illegal migrants residing under forged or changed identities, making their detection more difficult. As part of the ongoing effort, special attention is being paid to unauthorized structures near border areas, particularly along the India-Nepal border. Uttar Pradesh has become the leading state in India to achieve 100% repatriation of Pakistani citizens residing illegally, the Chief Minister’s Office said. CM Yogi Adityanath himself monitors such repatriations. Other Indian states have also witnessed such drives against illegal migrants in recent times, which is evidence of a coordinated national campaign to stop cross-border infiltration and illegal settlement.
