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Big crackdown in Bengal: Suvendu Adhikari-led govt to set up holding centres in every district for illegal immigrants
The West Bengal government has directed all district administrations to establish “holding centres” for apprehended illegal immigrants, including Bangladeshi nationals and Rohingyas, who are awaiting deportation or repatriation.
In a letter issued by the state’s Home and Hill Affairs Department, Government of West Bengal to district magistrates, officials have been instructed to take immediate steps to set up the facilities in accordance with guidelines issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
"It is requested to take initiative/appropriate action for setting up of Holding Centres in the district for apprehended foreigners as well as for released foreign prisoners awaiting deportation/repatriation in accordance with the MHA guideline under reference," the order stated.
The move comes days after West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced that his government would begin identifying illegal Bangladeshi immigrants for detention and subsequent handover to the Border Security Force for deportation.
Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, Adhikari said the Union government had issued a directive on May 14, 2025, asking the state to identify illegal Bangladeshi immigrants and transfer them to the BSF for deportation, but alleged that the previous administration had failed to act on it.
"The Indian government had sent an order on May 14, 2025, asking the Bengal government to identify Bangladeshi immigrants and hand them over to the BSF for deportation. But the previous government did not act," Adhikari was quoted as saying by The Telegraph.
"We will implement the order from today, arresting all such illegal immigrants and handing them over to the BSF," he added.
Adhikari, who recently led the Bharatiya Janata Party to a sweeping victory in the Assembly elections, clarified that immigrants who entered India before December 31, 2024, and are eligible to seek citizenship under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, would not face arrest.
"All other illegal immigrants will be detained and handed over to the BSF. From now on, the process of detect, delete and deport will begin in Bengal," the chief minister said.
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