Kolkata, May 26: West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced on Tuesday that the state government, led by the Bharatiya Janata Party, is in the process of repatriating arrested Bangladeshi illegal immigrants back to their home country. The decision to establish ‘detention centers’ has instilled fear among these immigrants, who previously lived in the state without apprehension.
During an administrative review meeting in Nadia district’s Kalyani, which included officials from Nadia, Hooghly, and North 24 Parganas, the Chief Minister addressed the media. He warned illegal immigrants to either leave voluntarily or face deportation.
Adhikari clarified the legality of the current state government’s ‘Detect-Delete-Deport’ policy regarding illegal Bangladeshi immigrants. He stated, “They are illegal immigrants and must leave. It is the responsibility of the Bangladeshi government to accept its citizens. We have instructed the police to present such illegal immigrants in courts or send them to reform homes. Why should we provide shelter, food, medicine, and even employment to those who are not our relatives?”
He further advised illegal immigrants to leave the country voluntarily; otherwise, the state government would take necessary action. The Chief Minister also explained the rationale behind not sending these immigrants to reform homes.
“We should not spend taxpayers’ hard-earned money on the upkeep of these illegal immigrants,” he emphasized. “We are not introducing any new laws; we are merely enforcing existing legal provisions that previous governments failed to implement. We are now applying these laws in the interest of the nation and the state.”
Since Monday, several immigrants have been observed being sent back to Bangladesh at the Hakimpur border in North 24 Parganas. When questioned about the situation at the border, Adhikari confirmed his awareness and advised immigrants to leave as soon as possible.
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