Key Points

The West Bengal government helmed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has directed all district administrations to create “holding centres” for detaining illegal Bangladeshi, Rohingya, and other illegal immigrants who are awaiting deportation. In an official directive issued on Saturday, 23 May 2026 by the Home and Hill Affairs Department, officials of all district administrations were asked to initiate the process in accordance with the guidelines issued by the Union home ministry concerning the deportation of “Bangladeshi/Rohingyas apprehended for staying illegally in this country”.

The decision comes three days after West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari stated to reporters that the BJP-led government in the state would implement the Citizen's Amendment Act (CAA) laws and adhere to the principles of “detect, delete, and deport” in all cases related to illegal immigration. 

"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 the BSF, which will liaise with BDR (Bangladesh Rifles, now known as Border Guard Bangladesh) and deport them," Adhikari remarked.

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As per the directive, one detention facility will be constructed in each of the state’s 23 districts, wherein illegal immigrants, or those who are not under suspicion for being one, can be housed for up to 30 days. The state government also says that individuals who were previously apprehended on suspicion of being illegal immigrants, as well as those who were previously arrested, imprisoned, and in process of being deported, can also be detained in the facility. 

This undertaking of the BJP-led government is in stark contrast to the stance adopted by the state’s previous government, led by Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress (TMC). The former chief minister had vehemently opposed the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on 2 May 2025, alleging that the guidelines were a bid by the central government to strip a section of Indians of their citizenry rights. Banerjee also held that as long as she and her party were in power, no individual would be sent to any detention facilities. 

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The MHA guidelines in question directed all state governments and Union Territory administrations to establish holding centres in every district under their police to detain illegal immigrants coming from Bangladesh and Myanmar.

The government defines holding centres as specialised facilities, distinct from prisons, meant to house individuals apprehended on suspicion of illegal entry or stay in the country while their nationality is under scrutiny and verification. These centres also accommodate foreign nationals who have completed their prison sentences but must remain in custody until deportation or repatriation processes are completed.

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