Bengal govt directs creation of 'holding centres' to keep illegal infiltrators, foreign prisoners
Kolkata, May 24
The West Bengal government has ordered the creation of 'holding centres' in each district to keep those arrested on suspicion of being Bangladeshis or Rohingyas, a senior government official said on Sunday.
Suspects can be detained in these 'holding centres' for 30 days.
The state government has said that not only those arrested on suspicion of being infiltrators, but also those who were previously caught and imprisoned and those in the process of being sent out of the country can be kept there.
The Central government had already issued instructions to identify and send back infiltrators.
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari recently held a press conference in the State Secretariat Nabanna and said that the previous Trinamool Congress government did not follow the instructions of the Central government.
After the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government came to power, the relevant law has been implemented in the state.
This time, those who are not included in the CAA or the Citizenship Amendment Act will be identified immediately and arrested. They will be directly handed over to the Border Security Force (BSF). The BSF will work to send them back to their respective countries. After Suvendu Adhikari's announcement, the state government has issued instructions in this regard.
The directive of the state government says that the process of sending back Bangladeshis or Rohingyas who have been caught illegally residing in this state is being started for which holding centres will be set up in all districts across the state.
All these centres will be used to keep illegal infiltrators and foreign prisoners released from the jails of this state.
Instructions are being given to take necessary steps to set up the centres.
An instruction to this effect has been sent from Nabanna to the West Bengal Director General of Police Siddh Nath Gupta, the District Magistrate of each district and the Superintendents of Police. This instruction has also been sent to the Commissioners of each police Commissionerate, including Kolkata.
On May 2, 2025, the Foreigners Division of the Union Home Ministry issued an eight-page guideline on Rohingya and Bangladeshi infiltrators.
It also mentioned the creation of 'holding centres' to keep the infiltrators.
According to the Centre's guidelines, if law enforcement officials suspect that a person is not an Indian citizen, he/she can be arrested. He/she can be detained in a 'holding centre' for 30 days. Within 30 days, the documents will be checked to verify whether he is an Indian citizen or not.
The final decision in this regard will be taken by the concerned District Magistrate or District Collector-level officer.
The West Bengal government has adopted a policy of 'detect, delete and deport' for illegal immigrants.
The Centre's guidelines have detailed instructions on how this process will be carried out.
The Centre has asked each state to form a special task force (STF) of police based on districts to identify illegal immigrants and send them back to their respective countries.
Those who are identified as infiltrators at the 'holding centre' will have their biometric information collected and uploaded on the Centre's portal after they will be handed over to the Border Guard. They will be 'blacklisted' in India.
The guidelines also state that in emergency situations, after the investigation is completed, the Border Guard or Coast Guard can pick up the illegal immigrants from the 'holding centre'. They can be sent directly outside the country's borders.
— IANS
Reader Comments
I'm all for following the law, but building 'holding centres' sounds like we're criminalizing people before investigation. What if a genuine Indian citizen gets caught in this dragnet? The DM-level review is good, but implementation matters. Hope it's not misused against poor migrants who've been here for decades.
About time! 😤 We have too many illegal immigrants taking jobs and straining resources. The 'detect, delete and deport' policy is exactly what we need. CAA is for persecuted minorities, but infiltrators have no place. BSF should handle it swiftly. Jai Hind! 🇮🇳
Holding centres sound like detention camps. The human rights angle is being ignored. What about due process? Why not fast-track courts instead? Also, TMC and BJP are both playing politics with this issue. Real solution needs bilateral talks with Bangladesh, not just police action.
Finally some action! West Bengal has been a transit point for infiltrators for too long. But this policy must be applied uniformly across all states, not just Bengal. Otherwise it's just political theatre. Also, what about Rohingyas already settled in other states? Hope this is followed by strong border fencing.
I'm concerned about the lack of clarity on appeal process. What if someone is wrongly detained? The 30-day period with biometric collection sounds intrusive. We need independent oversight of these centres. Otherwise it's just another tool for harassment of minorities in border areas. 😔
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