At least 386 illegal immigrants detained across West Bengal since Monday have been sent to 13 detention centers in eight border districts before being deported to Bangladesh, officials familiar with the matter said on Friday.
A police officer said that the largest number of illegal immigrants (about 335) are being held in three centers in Basirhat. He added that among them were 109 women and 95 children. The officer said 19 illegal immigrants were detained in Murshidabad, nine in Malda, and eight in South Dinajpur districts.
The new BJP government in West Bengal announced this week that the state has set up detention centers in all districts where illegal immigrants will be kept before they are deported in line with an election promise.
Soon after the announcement, dozens of illegal Bangladeshi migrants gathered near the Border Security Force (BSF) checkpoint at Hakimpur, about 500 meters from the Indo-Bangladesh border, in North 24 Parganas to cross into Bangladesh, the officials said. “All of them were sent to detention centers in Basirhat,” a second police officer said.
Prime Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Tuesday warned illegal immigrants to leave as soon as possible, otherwise the government will do what needs to be done. “Are they our in-laws in this country? [India] They will have to pay for their food, clothes and medicine?
Government buildings, including hurricane shelters, motels and community halls, have been designated as detention centres. Illegal immigrants are kept there under heavy security.
In November 2025, the first wave of thousands of illegal migrants gathered in Hakimpur to return to Bangladesh after the launch of a special intensive review of the electoral roll in the state. Many of them have been residing in Kolkata, the city’s outskirts, and other parts of West Bengal for more than a decade. Most of those who spoke to HT had Indian documents, including Aadhar cards, and were working as domestic helpers, e-rickshaw drivers, and cleaners.
A third police officer said the first wave was much larger. “At that time, thousands gathered. The second wave started on Tuesday. So far, we have reports of only about 100 Bangladeshis gathering outside the Border Security Forces checkpoint.”
West Bengal shares the longest stretch (about 2,216 km) of the Indo-Bangladesh border which is 4,096 km long. About 600 km of this stretch remains unfenced, making it porous and vulnerable to trafficking, smuggling, etc. The state government has handed over about 142 acres of land to the Border Security Forces to set up barbed wire fences on these unfenced stretches.
Adhikari directed that detained Bangladeshi migrants should be handed over directly to the Border Security Forces for deportation, instead of being produced before courts, in line with a new rule. Over the past year, people have been “turned back” to Bangladesh on suspicion of being illegal immigrants.
