KOLKATA: “Jaldi jaldi bhago nahi toh jo karna hai sarkar karega.” With this blunt warning, West Bengal chief minister Suvendu Adhikari has made it clear that his government is won’t be walking back on its stance of illegal immigrants residing in the state, including Bangladeshi’s and Rohingyas.CM’s statement triggered panic along stretches of the India-Bangladesh border, where hundreds of suspected Bangladeshi immigrants — including women and children — gathered amid fears of detention and deportation under the state’s new “detect-delete-deport” policy. The anxiety comes as the Bengal government rolls out “holding centres” across districts to house illegal foreigners, including Bangladeshis and Rohingyas, before repatriation.The developments come after the Bengal government on May 23 directed all 23 district magistrates to establish “holding centres” to house foreigners illegally staying in the state, including Bangladeshis and Rohingyas, before their deportation or repatriation. The order, issued in accordance with Union home ministry guidelines, marked the formal rollout of a policy that the government says had remained unimplemented in Bengal for over a year.The order instructed district administrations “to take initiative/appropriate action for setting up of Holding Centres in the districts for apprehended foreigners as well as for the released foreign prisoners awaiting deportation/repatriation in accordance with the MHA guidelines.” Officials indicated that each district will have one such facility and detainees can be housed there for up to 30 days.The move came 72 hours after Adhikari publicly outlined the government’s deportation roadmap. “Police cannot harass or detain those who have entered India before Dec 31, 2024. Those who are not covered under CAA are illegal immigrants and infiltrators. The state police will detain them and hand them over to BSF, which will maintain liaison with BDR (Bangladesh Rifles, now known as Border Guard Bangladesh) and deport them,” he had said.He later reiterated that “there is no need to send illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators to court” and claimed that existing laws already empower police to directly hand over such detainees to the Border Security Force for deportation.“Why should we keep them in jail for 3 months, 6 months or 2 years and provide them with your rice, your dal, your oil, your fish, your eggs, your clothes, and your medicines? Yeh damaad hai kya? The law always existed but some people did not use it for votebank interests. We are implementing the law in the interest of the country and the state,” Adhikari said.What are holding centres?The newly-created holding centres are temporary detention facilities meant to house apprehended foreigners and released foreign prisoners awaiting deportation or repatriation. Unlike earlier practice, detainees are not necessarily being formally arrested under Section 14 of the Foreigners Act, 1946, or immediately produced before a court.Instead, officials said the centres are being used to verify nationality and process deportation within a stipulated period of 30 days.
- Meant for illegal foreigners, including suspected Bangladeshi nationals and Rohingya immigrants
- Detainees can reportedly be housed for up to 30 days
- Set up as per Union home ministry guidelines issued on May 2, 2025
- Intended to facilitate verification and deportation/repatriation
- Security arrangements include CCTV surveillance, police deployment and civic volunteers
Where are the holding centres currently set up?Two holding centres have already become operational in districts bordering Bangladesh — Murshidabad and Malda.MurshidabadIn Lalgola, the second floor of Padma Bhawan, a fisheries department building, has been converted into a holding centre. Three persons detained near the border while allegedly trying to enter India using fake Indian passports, forged EPIC cards and other documents were shifted there on Monday. Later on Tuesday, seven more suspected Bangladeshi detainees were shifted to the holding centre after being intercepted in the Gopalpur area under Jalangi police station. After mandatory health check-ups at Domkal hospital, they were moved to the facility in Lalgola.MaldaIn Malda, a holding centre has been set up on one floor of the government’s self-help group training centre at English Bazar. Security has been beefed up with the deployment of 12 policemen, three civil defence workers and three civic volunteers. Cooks have also been engaged for detainees housed there.Nine suspected Bangladeshi women and minors intercepted in Pandua under Gazole police station area were shifted to this centre on Monday. Sources said they had crossed the border through Hili without valid documents.Expansion plansOfficials indicated that more such centres are being planned across Bengal. A senior district official in Birbhum said, “Such a centre will be set up within a couple of days to house foreign nationals as per order.”
