Visa Crackdown: Thousands of Pakistanis and Bangladeshis Face Deportation

India tightens its grip on foreign visitors as the UP administration sends back Pakistani women following the Pahalgam attack. The central government's new visa regulations cause chaos for Pakistani nationals, while over 550 illegal Bangladeshi immigrants face deportation from Gujarat for using forgery to reside in India.

Following the Pahalgam terrorist attack, where 26 lives were lost, the Uttar Pradesh administration has deported four Pakistani women visiting on tourist visas, authorities confirmed on Saturday. The women were sent back via the Wagah-Attari border. Superintendent of Police City Bulandshahr Shankar Prasad said they had entered from Pakistan on valid tourist visas.

In a decisive move, the Ministry of External Affairs announced on April 24 that all valid visas issued to Pakistani nationals are to be revoked from April 27, although medical visas remain valid until April 29. The press release emphasized that Pakistani visitors must leave India before their visas expire under the amended regulations.

This sweeping governmental action occurs in the wake of the Pahalgam attack in Jammu and Kashmir, heightening concerns for Pakistani residents in India, particularly those in Rajasthan's Jaisalmer. Here, thousands live in communities on various visa statuses now at risk of being forced out due to visa policy changes, as communicated by the Foreigners Registration Office.

Simultaneously, over 550 Bangladeshi nationals have been detained in Gujarat's Ahmedabad and Surat for illegally residing in India, according to state police reports. These individuals, who used counterfeit documents to obtain residency, will face deportation following their interrogation and verification processes.

These coordinated operations involved several enforcement units, demonstrating India's heightened vigilance over illegal immigration. Agencies such as the Special Operations Group, Crime Branch, Anti-Human Trafficking Unit, and Prevention of Crime Branch have scrutinized the verification process, ensuring no leniencies for those residing illegally.

(With inputs from agencies.)