‘Detect, delete and deport’: Inside West Bengal CM Suvendu's Trump-like model for deporting ‘illegal immigrants’
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "‘Detect, delete and deport’: Inside West Bengal CM Suvendu's Trump-like model for deporting ‘illegal immigrants’")
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari speaks during Dhanyabadgapon Sabha rally at Nandigram assembly, in Purba Medinipur on Sunday. Photograph: (ANI)
West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari announced a “detect, delete and deport” policy against illegal immigrants, directing districts to set up holding centres for detainees awaiting verification and deportation.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has unveiled a new model to “detect, delete and deport” illegal immigrants in the state, directing all district magistrates to set up “holding centres”, where the detainees would be held before their deportation. This comes as the Bengal BJP government push its campaign against illegal infiltration. The move has drawn comparisons with US President Donald Trump’s crackdown against “illegal aliens” involving mass deportations.
What we know about new deportation policy
According to a directive issued on May 23 by the foreigners’ branch under the state’s home and hill affairs department, district magistrates have been instructed to build detention facilities to accommodate “apprehended foreigners” and “released foreign prisoners” until the process of their deportation is completed. The order follows the government’s renewed focus on infiltration and border security, themes that were central to the BJP’s campaign during the recent assembly elections.
Earlier on Wednesday (May 20), West Bengal CM said that his government will follow a new policy of “detect, delete and deport” to tackle the issue of illegal infiltrators.
“Those not covered under CAA (Citizenship (Amendment) Act) are completely illegal immigrants. The State police will arrest them and hand them to BSF. The BSF will hold talks with BDR (Border Guards Bangladesh) and try to deport them. This means a policy of detect, delete and deport.”
The order issued by the West Bengal government also referred to an advisory released by the Union Home Ministry last year, detailing procedures for dealing with Bangladeshi nationals and Rohingyas found living illegally in India.
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“In this connection, it is requested to take initiative/appropriate action for setting up of Holding Centres in the district for apprehended foreigners as well as for the released foreign prisoners awaiting deportation/repatriation,” the order stated.
What are ‘holding centres’?
According to a PTI report, citing officials, the proposed facilities would function as temporary holding centres for people detained on suspicion of illegal stay in the country, as well as for foreign nationals awaiting deportation proceedings.
As per the Centre’s guidelines, those suspected of entering India illegally can be housed in these centres for up to 30 days while authorities verify their identity, nationality and related documents.
The authority to make the final determination on an individual’s citizenship status would lie with district magistrates or officers of equivalent rank.
