State figures put the number of alleged illegal Bangladeshi immigrants sent back so far at about 4,800, while 836 others remain in holding centres awaiting repatriation. Adhikari has said the administration will not compromise on border security, demographic stability or the safety of districts adjoining Bangladesh, framing the drive as one of the defining priorities of the new government.
The policy marks a major shift in Kolkata’s handling of migration and border management. Holding centres have been set up in border districts to keep those identified as undocumented migrants until verification and transfer procedures are completed through security agencies. Officials say those found ineligible for protection or citizenship relief are being handed over to the Border Security Force for onward repatriation.
Malda, North 24 Parganas, Nadia, Murshidabad, Cooch Behar and Jalpaiguri have emerged as key administrative zones in the operation because of their proximity to crossing points and long-standing concerns over porous stretches. A special holding facility at English Bazaar in Malda has already housed more than 150 people, with detainees brought under police supervision from other districts before being processed.
Adhikari has linked the deportation campaign with a parallel effort to speed up fencing along the India-Bangladesh border. West Bengal shares more than 2,200 km of boundary with Bangladesh, much of it riverine, densely populated and difficult to police. The government has said land has been handed over for fencing along about 100 km out of an estimated 556 km still requiring security infrastructure.
The Cabinet has also cleared fresh land transfers to the Border Security Force, including parcels across several border districts. Earlier transfers covered around 75 acres for fencing work, while another 32 acres of government land was approved to remove bottlenecks in pending stretches. The administration has described the handover as a continuing process tied to national security and local law-and-order concerns.
Political stakes around the drive are high. Illegal immigration and demographic change were major campaign issues for the Bharatiya Janata Party in West Bengal, with Adhikari accusing the previous Trinamool Congress administration of delaying fencing and failing to implement central guidelines on detention and deportation. Trinamool leaders have rejected the charge, arguing that migration questions must be handled lawfully and without targeting Bengali-speaking communities or minorities.
Human-rights concerns have also surfaced as enforcement gathers pace. Bangladesh has objected to what it calls attempts to push people across the border without proper diplomatic and legal verification. Border Guard Bangladesh has stepped up patrols and warned that any verified nationals must be returned through formal channels, not informal cross-border transfers.
One case in Jalpaiguri underlined the operational sensitivity. A family of 10 was stranded near the border after Bangladesh authorities allegedly refused to accept them and disputed their documents. The Border Security Force later moved the group from exposed no-man’s-land conditions to a holding centre while verification continued, highlighting the risk of humanitarian complications when nationality claims are contested.
The state government is seeking to avoid such disputes by routing repatriation through holding centres and security verification. Officials say the process involves identity checks, coordination with central agencies and transfer through established border mechanisms. Still, the scale of the drive will test administrative capacity, especially in districts where language, family ties and informal movement across the border have blurred legal status for decades.
Adhikari has also indicated that population data will play a role in future policy decisions. A state-level enumeration exercise is expected to begin on 1 August to help authorities assess demographic patterns, service delivery needs and migration-linked pressures in border areas.
