KOLKATA: Fresh rush of Bangladeshi infiltrators seeking to return to their motherland was reported at the Hakimpur border in North 24 Parganas district on Tuesday.
This comes within less than 48 hours after the West Bengal government, led by the Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, on Saturday announced setting up of ‘holding centres’ across districts in the state.
Since early this morning the illegal infiltrators carrying with their bag and baggage were seen gathering at the BSF check post at Hakimpur under the Bashirhat subdivision.
More than around 150 infiltrators were found waiting for call from the BSF personnel posted at the check post so that they can go back to their own country across the border.
The same scene was witnessed in October last year when the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal.
With implementation of the SIR exercise, hundreds of Bangladeshi infiltrators, who used to work in different parts, including Rajarhat, New Town, Dum Dum, Dankuni, Howrah, etc. in Bengal, had gathered at the Hakimpur checkpoint and returned to Bangladesh.
Since then, no such rush of illegal immigrants were found at the checkpoint.
On Saturday, the first-ever BJP government in Bengal issued a notification citing guidelines issued by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.
“Enclosed please find the letter under reference regarding the procedure to be followed for deportation of Bangladeshi/Rohingyas apprehended for staying illegally in this country. 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 in accordance with the MHA guideline under reference,” the notification issued by the Bengal home and hill affairs department on Saturday (May 23) stated.
The development comes days after the new CM Suvendu Adhikari said that his government would follow a new policy of “detect, delete and deport” while dealing with “illegal infiltrators”.
“Those not covered under the CAA [Citizenship (Amendment) Act] are completely illegal infiltrators. The State police will arrest them and hand them over to the BSF. The BSF will hold talks with the BDR [now Border Guard Bangladesh] and try to deport them. This means a policy of detect, delete and deport,” Suvendu had said on 20 May.
Malda has become the first district where a ‘holding centre’ has begun functioning.
Located at Chandan Park in English Bazar town, the facility is currently the only holding centre in the district and has already housed nine suspected Bangladeshi nationals, including three women and six minors.
In Murshidabad district with around 70 per cent Muslim population, such a ‘holding centre’ has also come up in the Lalgola area, where a suspected Bangladeshi infiltrators has been kept.
Both Malda and Murshidabad are Muslim-majority districts and share the India-Bangladesh border.
Under the framework, suspected illegal entrants can be held for up to 30 days as district magistrates and designated officers conduct verification procedures, collect biometric details and upload records to central databases before repatriation, sources in the state home department said.