WB launches Detect, Delete, Deport drive against illegal Bangladeshi

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has announced the immediate initiation of deportation proceedings against illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, or CAA. Speaking at state secretariat, Nabanna during a land handover ceremony to the Border Security Force (BSF) for border fencing, the  Chief Minister on Wednesday said infiltrators identified in the state would now be directly handed over to the BSF for further action in coordination with the Border Guards Bangladesh. Describing the policy as “Detect, Delete and Deport”, the Chief Minister said. the Union Home Ministry had issued guidelines on 14th of May last year directing states to identify and transfer illegal infiltrators to the BSF. He alleged that the previous Trinamool Congress government had failed to implement those directions.
Adhikari clarified that no action would be taken against members of the seven communities protected under the CAA, provided they had entered India before 31st of December 2024.West Bengal shares a 2,217 km border with Bangladesh out of a total of 4,096.7 km Indo-Bangladesh border. Adhikari said around 1,600 km in Bengal had already been fenced while nearly 600 km remained uncovered. He alleged that land for nearly 555 km of the unfenced portion could have been transferred earlier, but was held back by the TMC government due to "political reasons".

BIG BREAKING#WestBengal govt announces a new law to DETECT, DETAIN and DEPORT illegal infiltrators with IMMEDIATE effect in the interest of NATIONAL SECURITY. pic.twitter.com/rnKG8Naxto

— Amitabh Chaudhary (@MithilaWaaala) May 20, 2026

Meanwhile, the West Bengal government has begun handing over land to the Border Security Force for barbed-wire fencing along the Indo-Bangladesh border, ending a long-standing deadlock.  BSF Director General Praveen Kumar welcomed the initiative and stressed the need for closer coordination between the force and the state administration.