US Deports 36 More Bangladeshi Nationals Amid Crackdown on Undocumented Immigration
The United States has deported 36 more Bangladeshi nationals, including one woman, as part of its ongoing efforts against undocumented immigration. The group arrived in Bangladesh on Tuesday at around noon on a special US military flight that landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka. Several returnees said they had traveled abroad with hopes of building a better life, often spending huge amounts of money by selling family property, jewelry, or taking loans. Many claimed they paid between 4 million and 4.5 million taka, while some said their total costs reached as high as 6 to 8 million taka, but they returned home with nothing.
Officials from BRAC’s Migration and Youth Platform said emergency assistance was provided at the airport with the support of the expatriate welfare desk and aviation security, including transportation and urgent help for the workers who returned unexpectedly. Most of the deported individuals were reportedly from Noakhali district, while others came from Lakshmipur and several other districts across the country. With this latest group, the total number of Bangladeshis deported from the United States since the beginning of 2025 has risen to 293.
According to information shared by the deportees, many of them first traveled legally to Brazil after receiving clearance documents, and later attempted to enter the United States through Mexico using irregular routes. Some said they applied for asylum in the US, but after a long legal process their applications were denied, leading US authorities to carry out deportation orders. Several returnees described severe financial losses after paying brokers large sums of money to arrange the journey, including attempts through South Africa, Brazil, and the Mexico border. Observers and migration advocates have raised concerns that some legal travel routes may be used as transit paths toward illegal entry into the US, and they have called for closer monitoring and stronger accountability in the recruitment and approval process.
In recent months, immigration enforcement has reportedly accelerated, with more chartered and military flights being used to return undocumented migrants. Under US law, migrants without valid documents may be deported through court rulings or administrative orders, and rejected asylum applicants can be removed through immigration enforcement procedures.
