The West Bengal government has ordered the creation of holding centres in all districts to house apprehended foreigners, including Bangladeshis and Rohingyas, as well as released foreign prisoners awaiting deportation or repatriation, The Indian Express reported. The directive was issued by the Secretary of the Home and Hill Affairs Department to the state police chief, the Kolkata Police Commissioner, the FRRO in Kolkata and all district superintendents of police and it lays out the procedure to be followed for deporting those found staying illegally in India.
“In this connection, it is requested to take initiative/appropriate action for setting up of Holding Centres in the district for apprehended foreigners as well as for the released foreign prisoners awaiting deportation/repatriation in accordance with the MHA guideline under reference,” the order said, according to The Indian Express. The communication refers to Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) guidelines governing the detention, custody and deportation of foreign nationals.
BJP government’s immigration push
The move comes as the newly elected the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in West Bengal has made illegal immigration a key priority. The government has already decided in its first cabinet meeting to allocate land to the Border Security Force (BSF) for fencing along the Bangladesh border, and it has moved quickly on enforcement steps.
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said on May 20 (Wednesday) that the state would implement a “detect, delete, and deport” strategy against illegal Bangladeshi immigrants in Bengal. “Those covered under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) are safe here. However, those who are not protected by the CAA and are illegal infiltrators will be arrested by the state police and handed over to the BSF for deportation. Our policy is to detect, delete and deport,” he said.
Detention and handover plan
According to sources cited in the report, apprehended Bangladeshis will be housed in holding centres or detention facilities along with released foreign prisoners before being handed over to the BSF for “push back” into Bangladesh. District police forces, especially in border areas, have been placed on high alert and instructed to identify illegal immigrants.
The government’s push is being framed as part of a broader security and border-management strategy, with officials arguing that tighter procedures are needed to deal with illegal stay, custodial processing and eventual deportation. At the same time, the order signals a more formalised mechanism for handling foreign nationals already in custody or awaiting repatriation.
Fencing work has begun along the India-Bangladesh border in the Phansidewa area of Siliguri subdivision after the West Bengal government handed over 27 kilometres of land to the Border Security Force (BSF), marking a key step toward strengthening border security in the region. Visuals from the border town showed fencing work underway, with officials initiating groundwork following the long-pending land transfer. The move is expected to bolster surveillance and improve security infrastructure along the sensitive international border.
Locals expressed relief over the development, calling it a long-awaited measure to address persistent security concerns.
“This is a border area where there was no security before. The environment here was so horrific before that I cannot describe it. Before, we couldn’t even raise cows here. Raising cows was the same as surrendering ourselves to the Bangladeshis and Rohingyas. This was a matter of security not only for West Bengal but for the entire country. Today, we feel that thanks to the efforts of the new government and the new Chief Minister, we are safe,” said a resident, Anil Ghosh.