Ranit Kr. Singh , Kolkata — The West Bengal government has launched a structured crackdown on illegal immigration by directing all district administrations to establish dedicated holding centres for Bangladeshi and Rohingya nationals awaiting deportation. The comprehensive directive, issued on May 23 by the Home and Hill Affairs Department’s Foreigners’ Branch, instructs district magistrates to immediately build transit infrastructure for "apprehended foreigners" and "released foreign prisoners." This administrative move formally implements a strict "detect, delete, and deport" policy designed to manage regional border infiltration.

According to official communications, these facilities will act as temporary transit hubs while crucial legal formalities and nationality verifications are completed. Following the guidelines previously outlined by the Union Home Ministry, individuals suspected of illegal entry can be housed in these regulated environments for up to 30 days. During this timeframe, local administrative officers will make final determinations regarding citizenship, gather biometric data, and upload the information to a centralized national portal before transferring individuals to border authorities.

The newly introduced administrative framework coincides with a sharper political focus on state border security. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari recently announced that state police forces will bypass lengthy legal proceedings by directly handing over detained infiltrators to the Border Security Force (BSF) for swift repatriation. Copies of the government order have already been distributed to top police commissioners, superintendents, and the Foreigners Regional Registration Office to ensure immediate, uniform compliance across all border and interior districts.