The Bharatiya Janata Party-led government in West Bengal has initiated the establishment of holding centres across all 23 districts to detain illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, Rohingya, and other regions pending their deportation. This move resumes a process that had been stalled for over a year by the previous Trinamool Congress government under Mamata Banerjee, which had defied Ministry of Home Affairs guidelines.
Government order and timeline
The state home department issued an order over the weekend to all district magistrates, directing the creation of one holding centre per district. The order came just 72 hours after Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced that the government would strictly follow the principle of detect, delete, and deport in all cases of illegal immigration. Each holding centre can house detainees for up to 30 days.
Adhikari stated: Police cannot harass or detain those who entered India before December 31, 2024. Individuals not covered under the Citizenship Amendment Act are considered illegal immigrants and infiltrators. The state police will detain them and hand them over to the Border Security Force, which will coordinate with the Border Guard Bangladesh for deportation.
Previous government's defiance
The previous Trinamool Congress government had refused to implement the Union home ministry's guideline issued on May 2, 2025, alleging it was part of a plan to strip certain Indians of citizenship. Trinamool leaders had claimed it was an extension of the National Register of Citizens, Citizenship Amendment Act, and eventually a separate Indian Register. Former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had declared that no one in Bengal would be sent to a detention centre while her party was in power. Critics drew parallels with transit camps in Assam that house detainees identified by NRC tribunals for deportation.
Definition and purpose of holding centres
The government defines holding centres as specialised facilities distinct from prisons. They are designed to house individuals apprehended on suspicion of entering or staying illegally while their nationality is being investigated, as well as foreign nationals who have completed prison terms but must remain in custody until deportation or repatriation clearances are obtained.
According to the National Crime Records Bureau report of 2024, 905 people were held in Bengal that year under the Registration of Foreigners Act and the Foreigners Act. The previous year's NCRB report indicated that foreigners made up 9% of Bengal's prison population of 25,774, with Bangladeshis constituting the largest group: 778 convicts and 1,440 undertrials.
