India Expels Muslims, including Citizens, After Kashmir Violence

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(PAHALGAM, JAMMU & KASHMIR, INDIA) Indian authorities have carried out forced deportations of Muslims—including Indian citizens and Rohingya refugees—since early May 2025, following the April 22 attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 people and sparked a sweeping nationwide drive against so‑called “illegal immigrants,” according to documented accounts by Human Rights Watch and Fortify Rights. The expulsions, which rights groups say number in the hundreds to thousands, have taken place without due process and have included coercion, pushbacks at land and sea borders, and forced returns to Bangladesh and Myanmar.

Officials launched “Operation Sindoor” after the Kashmir violence, and the Ministry of Home Affairs directed state authorities to verify people’s credentials within 30 days, a mandate that observers say has disproportionately targeted Muslims and Bengali speakers.

Early weeks: expulsions and methods

Reports from multiple NGOs and international media show that, beginning May 7, Indian officers expelled more than 1,800 people to Bangladesh alone during the initial weeks of the campaign. Those removed include long‑term Indian residents who showed voter IDs and other official documents, as well as Rohingya refugees registered with the UN refugee agency.

In many cases, expulsions occurred at gunpoint and outside any legal proceeding. Witnesses and victims describe being pushed across borders or left in risky areas where they faced immediate danger. In some incidents, Bangladeshi authorities reportedly returned individuals who were forced out of India, underscoring the arbitrary character of the actions and the absence of formal handover procedures.

Enforcement expansion and reported abuses

The government’s verification drive has spread across the country, with notable incidents in Assam, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Delhi. Rights monitors say the crackdown has involved:

• Arbitrary arrests and detention, often without charge or timely review.
• Torture and beatings reported in custody.
• Coercive removal, including forced confessions of Bangladeshi origin under threat.
• Pushbacks at land and sea borders, exposing people to immediate hazards.
• Bulldozing of homes and blocking access to legal counsel.
• Transfers of Rohingya refugees to Bangladesh and Myanmar, despite risks of persecution.

Although the government framed the operation as a security response to Kashmir violence and a measure against illegal immigrants, rights groups document a pattern that has overwhelmingly affected Muslims and has included Indian citizens among those forced out.

Government orders and how they were implemented

In May 2025, the Ministry of Home Affairs instructed all states and union territories to verify credentials of suspected illegal immigrants within 30 days. This directive, rights monitors say, was implemented most aggressively in states governed by the BJP and in border regions.

On paper the verification process aimed to confirm identity and legal status. In practice, documented cases show it often led to arrests, detention, and fast‑tracked expulsions without access to legal counsel or court review. Reported enforcement methods included:

1. Rounding up people—often at night—and detaining them without explanation.
2. Forcing individuals to sign statements declaring Bangladeshi nationality.
3. Transporting detainees by truck or bus for rapid removal.
4. Pushing people across unfenced borders or into rivers and coastal areas.

Rights groups say the operational reality resembled collective punishment more than individualized, evidence‑based adjudication.

Scale, geographic spread, and targets

Estimates compiled from rights organizations and border officials put the number of expulsions since May 7 at over 1,800 to Bangladesh alone, with cumulative totals between 1,500 and more than 2,500 by mid‑summer. These figures do not reflect ongoing removals or the full scope of coercive practices documented since May.

Hotspots and dynamics:
– Assam: longstanding political focus on migration from Bangladesh; administrative tools for mass checks already in place.
– Gujarat, Maharashtra, Delhi: urban raids targeting dense migrant neighborhoods and informal settlements.
– Kashmir: link to Operation Sindoor and heightened security narrative after April 22 attack.

Primary groups affected:
– Indian Muslims, including Bengali speakers, some with voter IDs and other official documents.
– Rohingya refugees registered with UNHCR.
– Other Muslims deemed “doubtful” based on language, religion, or neighborhood.

Human Rights Watch and Fortify Rights report many deportations occurred in the middle of the night, with limited notice and no access to legal aid. Family separation—men removed first, leaving women and children behind—is frequently cited. For Rohingya, return to Myanmar poses particular risk given ongoing persecution and statelessness.

Legal and human rights concerns

Rights organizations argue that expelling people without an opportunity to contest removal violates due process obligations under Indian law and international standards. They also assert that:

• Forcing Rohingya back to Myanmar or pushing people into Bangladesh without Bangladesh’s agreement breaches protections against refoulement and collective expulsion.
• The absence of individual case reviews, lack of court oversight, and use of force to extract nationality confessions point to unlawful practices.
• Targeting based on religion and language constitutes discriminatory enforcement.

Rohingya refugees—though registered with UNHCR—lack formal legal status in India and face grave danger if returned. Rights monitors stress that non‑refoulement is a core protection that applies regardless of whether a state has ratified specific treaties.

Operational dynamics and consequences for communities

Wherever checks were carried out, officials reportedly relied on summary assessments rather than formal adjudication. People presenting documents were sometimes told their IDs were fake. This pattern produced:

• A presumption of guilt for particular communities.
• Increased risk of mistakes, arbitrary detention, and abuse.
• Breakdown in trust toward police and local institutions.

The immediate social impacts include:
– Family separation and economic hardship when a breadwinner is expelled.
– Disruption to children’s schooling and access to healthcare.
– Movement of families trying to avoid late‑night raids.
– Reluctance to seek help from local police for fear of detention.

The removal-and-return cycle—where expelled people are turned back by Bangladesh or otherwise stranded—highlights the arbitrariness of the campaign and the lack of proper legal processes.

International and domestic reactions

Rights organizations have uniformly called for:
– An immediate halt to forced deportations and pushbacks.
– Restoration of due process and access to legal counsel.
– Suspension of collective actions and individualized assessments.
– Protection against returns to places of persecution, including Myanmar.

Observers warn that mass, identity‑driven enforcement risks fueling instability and deepening marginalization. Reports that Bangladeshi authorities returned some expelled individuals to India point to possible cross‑border friction and unmanaged human movement that leaves people stranded.

For official background, readers can consult the Ministry of Home Affairs portal at the following link: Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. Rights organizations have urged greater transparency from the ministry about numbers removed, legal bases, and available safeguards.

Wider context and prospects

The campaign since May fits into a broader arc of measures aimed at identifying and excluding people labeled as illegal immigrants—especially in border regions. Key features of the current phase include:

• Intensified on‑the‑spot checks and rapid removals.
• Short windows for verification that undermine procedural fairness.
• Use of local lists of “suspected” residents to accelerate action.

Rights groups argue that enforcement must follow rules that protect people from abuse: individualized assessment, time for credibility screening, access to counsel, and court oversight. Without these safeguards, rapid removals risk sweeping up citizens and refugees with valid claims.

Recommendations offered repeatedly by rights monitors:
– Suspend collective actions and pushbacks.
– Provide individualized case assessments and restore legal proceedings.
– Ensure access to legal counsel for anyone facing removal.
– Refrain from returning Rohingya to Myanmar or others to places where they face persecution.
– Investigate allegations of arbitrary arrest, torture, and home demolitions, and ensure accountability.

Concluding observations

The expulsions that followed the Kashmir violence raise a central test for a democracy: whether rights hold when fear and anger increase. Human Rights Watch, Fortify Rights, and international media document forced expulsions of Indian citizens and transfers of Rohingya refugees that, they say, have sidelined due process and disproportionately targeted Muslims.

As of October 2025, the campaign continues to draw scrutiny for its scale and methods, including reported use of bulldozers to demolish Muslim homes, alleged torture in detention, and denial of legal recourse. Rights groups maintain that enforcing security must remain within the bounds of law—with hearings, counsel, and evidence‑based decisions—so that state action does not become collective punishment or demographic engineering.

The documented accounts since May—from gunpoint expulsions to dangerous pushbacks—indicate that many of the procedural safeguards necessary to protect citizens, migrants, and refugees have too often been missing. Rights advocates continue to press for suspension of unlawful removals, restoration of due process, and protection for those at risk of persecution.