Delhi Police To Deport Bangladeshi Woman After Crackdown On Illegal Immigrants; Sonali Sheikh Entered India Six Years Ago

A fortnight after the Lieutenant Governor (LG) Secretariat in Delhi ordered a special initiative to locate and take action against "unlawful immigrants from Bangladesh" residing in the capital, the Delhi Police announced on Friday (27 December) that they are preparing to deport one such immigrant shortly.

The authorities confirmed the woman to be Sonali Sheikh, aged 28, residing in the Ruchi Vihar region of Delhi. They indicated she was unable to provide any legitimate documents to substantiate her assertion of being an Indian citizen.

The police have stated that this is the first official deportation order to be issued in the South West district of Delhi since the orders of the LG. The FRRO (Foreigners Regional Registration Office) has already issued an order to place the immigrant in Sewa Sadan in Shahzada Bagh.

"Usually, even illegal immigrants have Aadhaar cards made in border states like Assam and West Bengal. But in this case, she did not have any... She was taken from the FRRO office to the Sewa Sadan and is currently there awaiting deportation,” a police officer who was part of the drive said.

Reportedly, Sheikh and her family, including her father, mother, and younger brother, migrated from Narail district in Bangladesh to India approximately six years ago.

They established their initial residence in Mumbai, where Sheikh worked as a domestic helper, according to a police official. After the death of her father three years into their relocation, Sheikh assumed the role of the family's sole provider.

With the high cost of living in the city, she decided to send her mother and younger brother back to Narail, and began remitting money to them from India, the official further explained as per Indian Express.

Approximately 18 months ago, Sheikh relocated to Delhi, residing in the Ruchi Vihar region of Mahipalpur. Here, she earned a living as a ragpicker while simultaneously seeking employment as a domestic helper, according to the police.

Under the guidance of Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Surendra Choudhary, the anti-narcotics unit of the South West district of Delhi Police apprehended Sheikh on Wednesday.

This arrest was part of a campaign against illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, following the order issued by the LG secretariat on 10 December.

"The deportee, Sonali, was found residing in a jhuggi in Ruchi Vihar, thereby violating the provisions of the Foreigners Act," DCP Choudhary said as Delhi Police continued the drive to identify and expel any undocumented immigrants residing in the national capital.