India’s ruling Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party has ordered detention centers for undocumented Bangladeshis and Rohingya migrants in West Bengal state, sparking fears of arbitrary expulsions among the state’s Muslim minority.

The directive came days after the BJP won power in West Bengal for the first time since India’s independence in 1947. The order calls on local authorities to establish “holding centers” for “apprehended foreigners” awaiting deportation.

What does India’s West Bengal detention center order mean for migrants?

The order is part of a broader crackdown on illegal migration under the government’s “detect, delete, deport” principle.

Authorities say it targets migrants staying in the country illegally, citing security and socio-economic concerns. Critics say it risks arbitrary detentions, particularly for West Bengal’s roughly 35 million Muslims, many of whom share linguistic and cultural ties with neighboring Bangladesh.

Why are minorities in West Bengal worried about the detention centers?

The order has fueled anxiety because of West Bengal’s porous border with Bangladesh and its long history of cross-border migration.

Critics say the measure reflects the BJP’s long-standing hardline stance on immigration, with senior party members having previously referred to Bangladeshi migrants as “termites” and “infiltrators.” Rights activists argue the policy disproportionately targets Muslims by conflating religious identity with illegal migration status.

The inclusion of Rohingya refugees in the order has drawn additional criticism from humanitarian groups. India has previously been accused of forcibly returning Rohingya to Myanmar despite ongoing conflict there, in potential violation of international norms on refugee protection. The order’s broad scope has raised concern that similar patterns could emerge in West Bengal.

What happened with similar policies in Assam?

The BJP has pursued comparable policies in the neighboring state of Assam, where it oversaw sweeping identification drives and large-scale detentions. Rights activists say hundreds have been deported to Bangladesh from Assam without due legal process, often based on ethnic profiling. Lawyers and activists who have challenged the measures in court allege that many were pushed across the border at gunpoint.

The West Bengal order has drawn particular concern precisely because of those precedents in Assam. The BJP-led government in Assam also introduced legislation on Monday to curb polygamy and amend personal religious laws. Critics say the measure could further marginalize the Muslim minority across both states.