West Bengal

IIE DIGITAL DESK : West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari declared that the state government has officially begun implementing a “pushback” policy against illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators from Wednesday onward. The move, according to the Chief Minister, is aimed at strengthening national security and protecting the state from illegal immigration.

Press conference on Wednesday, Adhikari stated that the Centre had first issued directives regarding action against illegal infiltration back in 2025. However, he alleged that the previous Trinamool Congress government failed to implement those instructions. The new BJP-led administration, he said, has now decided to strictly enforce the guidelines in coordination with central agencies.

Under the newly enforced mechanism, individuals identified as illegal Bangladeshi immigrants will be detained by the police and handed over directly to the Border Security Force (BSF). The BSF will then follow official diplomatic and border protocols before transferring the individuals to Bangladesh authorities through coordination with the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB).

The Chief Minister claimed that this process would help remove “illegal infiltrators” from Bengal more quickly and efficiently.

The announcement has created anxiety among sections of the Matua community and other Hindu migrants who came from Bangladesh over the years. Addressing those concerns, Adhikari clarified that persecuted Hindu minorities and other eligible communities covered under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) would not face deportation.

He emphasized that people belonging to communities protected under the CAA — including minorities from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan — would continue to receive protection and would be eligible to obtain Indian citizenship through legal procedures.

The Chief Minister, individuals who entered India before December 31, 2024, and fall under the categories protected by the CAA, would not be harassed, detained, or questioned by the police. He added that only those who do not qualify under the CAA framework would be treated as illegal infiltrators.

Adhikari further stated that the state police have been instructed to act against undocumented migrants outside the scope of the CAA and transfer them to the BSF for further legal action and deportation procedures in coordination with Bangladeshi authorities.

The implementation of the “pushback” policy is expected to intensify political debate in West Bengal, particularly over issues of citizenship, migration, border security, and the rights of refugee communities ahead of future elections.