India’s ruling Hindu-nationalist party has ordered the establishment of detention centres for undocumented Bangladeshis and Rohingya in West Bengal state, a move that has ignited fear among minority communities of potential arbitrary expulsions.
A ‘Detect, Delete, Deport’ Policy
The government has staunchly defended its “detect, delete, deport” principle, asserting that the targets are migrants residing illegally in the country. “Illegal migration has security and socio-economic ramifications which are often well beyond law enforcement,” read the order, issued last week.However, the decision has fuelled deep anxiety among West Bengal’s roughly 35 million Muslims, many of whom share linguistic and cultural ties with neighbouring Bangladesh. Critics argue the measure reflects the government’s long-standing hardline stance on immigration, noting that top BJP members have previously referred to Bangladeshi migrants as “termites” and “infiltrators.”
Echoes of Assam and Fears of Profiling
The BJP has pursued similar policies in the neighbouring state of Assam, where it has overseen sweeping identification drives and large-scale detentions. Rights activists report that hundreds have been deported to Bangladesh from Assam without due legal process, often based on ethnic profiling. Many have allegedly been pushed across the border at gunpoint, according to activists and lawyers challenging the measures in court.
They contend that the policies disproportionately impact the Muslim population by conflating religious identity with illegal migration. The planned centres in West Bengal have drawn particular concern because of state’s porous border with Bangladesh and its long history of migration.
Rohingya at Risk of Refoulement
The inclusion of Rohingya refugees in the order has also drawn sharp criticism. India has previously been accused by humanitarian groups of forcibly returning Rohingya to Myanmar, despite ongoing conflict there, in potential violation of international norms on refugee protection, specifically the principle of non-refoulement.
Adding the unease of Muslim communities, the BJP-led government in Assam on Monday introduced legislation to amend personal religious laws, a step critics say could further marginalise minorities. The convergence of these policies is deepening a climate of fear and uncertainty among India’s largest minority group.
