by Hafizur Rahman
New Delhi, October 11, 2025:
Indian authorities have begun forcibly deporting Muslims — including Indian citizens — to neighboring countries following a militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir earlier this year, according to a new report by Human Rights Watch (HRW).
Mass Expulsions After April Attack
The crackdown reportedly began after a militant assault in April killed several tourists in Kashmir. Between May 7 and June 15, Indian authorities expelled more than 1,500 people to Bangladesh and Myanmar, HRW said. Among those deported were Indian Muslims and around 100 Rohingya refugees. The expulsions were carried out without any legal process or court order.
Citizens Among the Deported
One documented case involved Mustafa Kamal Sheikh, a 52-year-old Indian citizen from Mumbai. Despite showing multiple forms of identification, including a voter card, Sheikh was detained by police in June and transported to the India-Bangladesh border along with dozens of other Muslims. He was ordered to cross the border but was later allowed to return only after videos of the deportation went viral on social media.
Rohingya Refugees Targeted in the Crackdown
Rohingya refugees living in New Delhi have also reported being targeted. One refugee, identified as Nooralamin, said his family was taken by police for “biometric verification” and never returned. Days later, his brother called from Myanmar, saying they had been taken by ship and forced to jump into the sea near the coast, where they were rescued by local fishermen.
Political Context and Rising Anti-Muslim Sentiment
Human rights groups say the deportations are part of a broader campaign by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist government to target Muslims and foreign refugees. The government has long vowed to identify what it calls “illegal infiltrators” and expel them.
In 2019, a senior government leader publicly promised to “find infiltrators and dump them in the Bay of Bengal.” Analysts believe the current crackdown is being used to deflect attention from the government’s failure to identify the militants responsible for the April attack, while fueling anti-Muslim sentiment ahead of upcoming state elections.
Government Silence
The Indian Home Ministry has not responded to media requests for comment on the reported deportations.
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