West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said on Tuesday, 27 May 2025, that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led state government's decision to establish 'holding centres' for illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators — before transferring them to Border Security Force (BSF) outposts for deportation — had triggered widespread panic among those who had previously lived in the state without fear of action.

Adhikari made the remarks on the sidelines of an administrative review meeting he chaired at Kalyani in Nadia district, which also covered the districts of Hooghly and North 24 Parganas.

What the Chief Minister Said

'They are Bangladeshis. They are illegal infiltrators. Hence, they will have to leave. It is the duty of the Bangladesh government to accept their own citizens. We have instructed the police that such illegal infiltrators should be produced at the courts or sent to correctional homes. They are not our in-laws. Then why shall we provide them with shelters, food, medicines and even employment,' Adhikari said.

He also addressed why the state was not routing detainees through correctional homes: 'Why will we spend the hard-earned taxpayers' money in maintaining them and feeding them at the correctional homes? We are not introducing any new law. What we are doing is as per the legal provisions which were there for a long time. The only difference was that the existing law was not enforced by the previous regimes. We are now just enforcing those legal provisions in the interest of the country and in the interest of the state.'

The 'Detect-Delete-Deport' Policy

Adhikari explained that the state government's three-pronged 'detect-delete-deport' approach is legally valid, drawing on existing statutory provisions that, he argued, had been left unenforced by earlier administrations. The Chief Minister framed the current drive as enforcement of existing law rather than introduction of new legislation.

He also issued a direct warning to infiltrators still in the state, advising them to leave voluntarily or face state-initiated deportation proceedings. 'My only advice to them now is to escape as fast as possible,' he said.

Developments at the Hakimpur Border

Since Monday, several individuals have reportedly been seen at the Hakimpur border in North 24 Parganas district, awaiting deportation to Bangladesh. When asked about these developments, Adhikari confirmed awareness of the situation at Hakimpur, indicating that the deportation process was already under way.

Context and What Comes Next

The holding-centre initiative marks a significant policy shift in West Bengal, a state that has historically been at the centre of political debate over illegal immigration from Bangladesh. The BJP government's move represents a sharper enforcement posture compared to previous administrations. With deportations already beginning at Hakimpur, pressure on undocumented migrants in the state is expected to intensify in the coming weeks.