The West Bengal government has instructed all district magistrates to initiate steps for setting up designated 'holding centres' for foreign nationals who have been apprehended for allegedly staying in India without valid legal documents.

According to an official notification issued by the state Home and Hill Affairs Department, these centres will also house foreign prisoners who have completed their sentences and are awaiting deportation or repatriation to their countries of origin.

The directive references guidelines issued by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), particularly a communication dated May 2, 2025, which outlines procedures for handling cases involving individuals identified as Bangladeshis or Rohingyas found to be residing illegally in India.

The communication has been circulated to district administrations, police authorities, and immigration-related agencies, including the Director General and Inspector General of Police, all police commissionerates, superintendents of police, and the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) in Kolkata.

The state government has emphasised the need for districts to develop appropriate infrastructure to ensure that such individuals are housed in a regulated and controlled environment until legal formalities related to deportation or repatriation are completed.

Senior officials have clarified that the move is procedural in nature and is aimed at improving coordination and streamlining the detention and deportation process in accordance with central government guidelines.

The objective, as stated by the administration, is to ensure that district-level authorities are adequately prepared to handle cases involving foreign nationals who are to be deported, thereby maintaining legal compliance and administrative efficiency.