India's Migrant Detention Centers Raise Fears of Expulsion

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India’s dominant Hindu-nationalist party has directed detention centers to hold undocumented Bangladeshis and Rohingyas in West Bengal, causing concern among minority communities that these actions may result in unpredictable expulsions. The order was issued shortly after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured control of the eastern state for the first time since India gained independence in 1947.

The directive instructs local officials to establish “holding centers” for “apprehended foreigners” pending deportation, as part of a wider campaign against illegal migration. The government justifies this “detect, delete, deport” policy by asserting that those targeted are migrants unlawfully residing in the country.

An official statement said, “Illegal migration poses security and socio-economic risks that surpass law enforcement concerns.” The move has heightened anxiety among West Bengal’s approximately 35 million Muslims, many of whom have linguistic and cultural ties with neighboring Bangladesh.

Critics argue that the policy exemplifies the BJP’s longstanding strict stance on immigration, with some senior members previously referring to Bangladeshi migrants as “termites” and “infiltrators.” Similar policies have been implemented in Assam, where large-scale identification drives and detention efforts have taken place, often without proper legal procedures. Rights activists report that hundreds have been deported to Bangladesh without due process, sometimes based on ethnic profiling, and have been reportedly forced across the border at gunpoint—allegations challenged in courts.

Many view these policies as disproportionately affecting Muslims, as they tend to tie religious identity to illegal migration. The planned detention centers in West Bengal are especially concerning given the state’s porous border with Bangladesh and its extensive migration history. The inclusion of Rohingya refugees in the order has also drawn criticism, with concerns about potential violations of international refugee protections, as India has previously been accused by humanitarian groups of forcibly repatriating Rohingya to Myanmar amid ongoing conflict there.

Adding to Muslim communities’ worries, the BJP-led government in Assam recently proposed amendments to personal religious laws, which critics say could further marginalize minority populations.