West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Thursday (21st May) announced the immediate commencement of deportation proceedings against Bangladeshi infiltrators illegally residing in West Bengal. Speaking at the State Secretariat in Nabanna, during a ceremony marking land handover to the Border Security Force (BSF), Adhikari described the policy of “Detect, Delete and Deport”. The Chief Minister said that under the policy, Bangladeshi infiltrators will be identified, detained and handed over directly to the BSF, which will deport them to Bangladesh in coordination with the Border Guards Bangladesh.
CM Adhikari slammed the previous TMC government in the state for failing to implement the guidelines issued by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs in May 2025, directing the states to identify and transfer illegal infiltrators to the BSF. “A letter was sent by the Centre to the state on May 14 last year regarding the direct handover of infiltrators to the BSF, but the previous government failed to implement this important provision. We have now enforced it,” Adhikari said.
Howrah, West Bengal: CM Suvendu Adhikari says, "Today, we have started the law work…There are seven communities in the CAA, or those who follow religion, will come under the Citizenship Amendment Act, and those who have come till 31 December 2024, The police will not be able to… pic.twitter.com/4MlfLfEXrK
— IANS (@ians_india) May 20, 2026
CM Adhikari
“From today, we have implemented this law (Citizenship Amendment Act). As a result, those who are covered under the CAA—meaning the people belonging to the seven communities or religions mentioned in the CAA—will come under the purview of the Citizenship Amendment Act. And those who have arrived up until 31/12/2024 cannot be harassed or detained by any police anywhere,” the Chief Minister said.
“Those who do not fall under the purview of the CAA are completely illegal immigrants, infiltrators. The state police will directly arrest and detain them and hand them over to the BSF (Border Security Force). The BSF will then coordinate with the BDR (Border Guard Bangladesh) to arrange for their deportation. In other words: Detect, Delete, and now, Deport,” he added.
This law comes into effect from today. The Honorable DGP (Director General of Police) and the Home Secretary have been instructed. In all police stations adjoining the borders of West Bengal, we have implemented this law from today, in the interest of the nation and in the interest of West Bengal.”
Mr 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.
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.
