Several Indian citizens, particularly from West Bengal, have been applying for political asylum in European countries like France by falsely claiming Bangladeshi nationality. French media outlet Le Monde and the French National Court of Asylum (CNDA) report that Biswajit Das and his wife Rinku Das from Nadia district entered France in 2022 with forged Bangladeshi birth certificates and citizenship documents.

Experts say asylum applications citing religious and political persecution are more likely to be approved if the applicant claims to be from Bangladesh. This growing trend of fraudulent claims is damaging Bangladesh’s global image and could affect genuine asylum seekers.