WB govt orders counties to set up detention centers for detained illegal aliens

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. | Photo credit: PTI

The West Bengal government has ordered district magistrates across the state to set up detention centers for detained illegal aliens and released foreign prisoners awaiting deportation.

A notification by the state government’s Ministry of Home Affairs and Mountain Affairs cited the instructions issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs. “Attached is a letter of reference regarding the procedure to be followed in deporting Bangladeshi/Rohingyas detained for illegal stay in this country. In this regard, he is requested to take the initiative/appropriate measures to establish detention centers in the district for detained foreigners as well as for released foreign prisoners awaiting deportation/repatriation issued on Saturday in accordance with instruction MMayHA 23, 2026) stated.

The development comes days after Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said his government would follow a new policy of “detect, wipe and deport” while dealing with “illegal infiltrators”.

“Those who are not covered by the CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act) are completely illegal infiltrators. The state police will arrest them and hand them over to the BSF. The BSF will deal with the BDR (now Border Guard Bangladesh) and try to deport them. This means a policy of find, delete and deport,” the chief minister said on Wednesday, May 20.

Last May, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) directed all states and union territories to identify and verify illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and Myanmar (Rohingyas) within 30 days. The directives also required local governments to set up detention centers at the district level and capture biometric data for immediate deportation.

Several migrant workers from West Bengal were detained in other states on suspicion of being Bangladeshi nationals and some were also pushed to Bangladesh.

Ahead of the 2026 West Bengal assembly elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership has campaigned to deport “illegal infiltrators” and fence the border with Bangladesh if elected to power. The party accused the previous Trinamool Congress government of not providing land to build fences along the West Bengal-Bangladesh border.

West Bengal shares a 2,216 km long border with Bangladesh, of which about 550 km remains unfenced. The BJP-led government in the state recently handed over land to the BSF to fence 27 km along the border.

Published – 24 May 2026 21:51 IST