4 min readFeb 12, 2026 09:25 PM IST
AFTER MUMBAI mayor Ritu Tawde said the city would focus on removing illegal Bangladeshi hawkers and infiltrators, there has been public discussion about how such people are identified and whether the mayor plays any role in deportations. Police officials clearly say that deporting illegal foreign nationals is entirely the job of the police and central agencies. The mayor and the municipal corporation do not have the power to identify nationality or deport anyone.
Who handles deportation?
The work of identifying and deporting illegal Bangladeshi nationals is carried out by the Mumbai Police, along with the State Special Branch, the Union Home Ministry, and the Border Security Force (BSF).
The mayor or the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation can act only against illegal hawking or encroachments under civic laws. They cannot check passports, verify citizenship, or send anyone out of the country.
How many have been deported?
Mumbai Police data shows that 1,061 illegal Bangladeshi nationals were deported in 2025 in 401 cases. This is the highest number in a single year. In comparison, 304 people were arrested in 2024 and 371 in 2023 on charges of being illegal Bangladeshi nationals. Of these, 160 were deported in 2024 and 60 in 2023. Police say the numbers increased after the Union government asked all states to speed up the process of deportation.
How police identify illegal Bangladeshi nationals
Police usually detain suspects during routine checks or based on specific information. Many of these checks happen in areas with large informal settlements.
In many cases, suspects do not have valid documents. Police say physical papers are often destroyed, and only digital copies remain on mobile phones.
To confirm identity, police examine mobile phones and look for clues such as use of the IMO app, which is commonly used in Bangladesh. Frequent calls to numbers from Bangladesh with the +880 country code and contact lists and messages showing family links in Bangladesh
Police also check social media accounts for personal details. In some cases, officers make video calls to family members or village representatives in Bangladesh using the suspect’s phone. Identity is confirmed only after multiple checks.
What happens after identity is confirmed
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Once police confirm that a person entered India illegally or overstayed their visa, they begin the deportation process. Police officials say they do not register criminal cases in every instance because court cases take time and delay deportation. If the person has not committed any other crime, police directly complete the legal paperwork and arrange deportation. If the person is involved in another offence, a criminal case is registered separately.
How deportation is carried out
After legal formalities are completed, detainees are taken to the Indo-Bangladesh border and handed over to the BSF. Most deportations are done by train, though special flights were used during large operations last year.
In one operation in August last year, 112 illegal Bangladeshi nationals from Mumbai and nearby areas were deported together after being transported to the Assam-Bangladesh border.
What the mayor’s statement means
“Today, one of the biggest concerns for the tax payers is the need for walkable footpaths. A key factor behind the lack of sufficient space on footpaths is encroachments by the illegal hawkers from Bangladesh. Alongside development works, we will work hard towards removal of these Bangladeshi hawkers. My first meeting with the municipal commissioner will be pertaining to this issue of Bangladeshi hawkers who illegally occupy space of footpaths,” Tawde said while addressing the media.
Police officials said the mayor’s comments reflect a political position on illegal encroachments and public order.
However, the mayor does not direct or influence police action on deportations.
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The identification and removal of illegal Bangladeshi nationals follows a fixed legal process and continues based on police inputs and central government instructions, regardless of political statements.
