West Bengal Launches Deportation Drive Against Illegal Bangladeshi Infiltrators

Kolkata: The West Bengal government has announced the launch of deportation proceedings against illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators, marking a major shift in the state’s border and immigration policy.

Speaking at Nabanna during a land handover ceremony for border fencing projects, West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said identified illegal infiltrators would be handed over directly to the Border Security Force (BSF) for further action in coordination with Border Guards Bangladesh.

CM SuvenduAdhikari da announced the immediate start of deportation proceedings for illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act pic.twitter.com/JuxY2n7hdK

— Sayan Chakraborty (@sayan2024) May 21, 2026

Calling the initiative “Detect, Delete and Deport,” the Chief Minister said the Union Home Ministry had already issued guidelines on May 14 last year directing states to identify and transfer illegal infiltrators to the BSF. He alleged that the previous All India Trinamool Congress government failed to act on those instructions.

Mr Adhikari clarified that members of the seven communities protected under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) would not face any action, provided they had entered India before December 31, 2024.

In another significant development, the West Bengal government has also started handing over land to the BSF for barbed-wire fencing along the Indo-Bangladesh border, ending a prolonged deadlock over border infrastructure projects.