West Bengal recorded the very best variety of crimes dedicated by foreigners in 2023, in addition to essentially the most variety of circumstances registered underneath the Foreigners Act, 1946 and Registration of Foreigners Act, 1939, in response to the Crime in India 2023 report revealed by the Nationwide Crime Information Bureau (NCRB) final month,
The Foreigners Act, 1946 and the Registration of Foreigners Act, 1939 are legal guidelines centered on the presence, entry and exit of international nationals visiting India, in addition to their registration, the regulation of their actions and motion. on Indian soil, and the authorized framework on the powers conferred on the Indian authorities for a similar.
In 2023, West Bengal reported a complete of 1,021 prison circumstances dedicated by foreigners, 989 out of which had been recorded underneath these two legal guidelines. These figures are the very best amongst all States and Union Territories.
Seven circumstances of crimes dedicated by international nationals in West Bengal in 2023 had been recorded underneath the Narcotic Medicine & Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 and two underneath The Arms Act, 1959. Few circumstances of crimes by foreigners have been additionally recorded underneath offenses corresponding to dishonest, inflicting grievous damage and human trafficking.
An evaluation of NCRB’s crime data through the years reveal that West Bengal has persistently ranked the very best when it comes to the variety of prison circumstances recorded towards foreigners. In 2022, it recorded 723 circumstances, whereas in 2021 and 2020 it recorded 1,287 and 635 crimes towards foreigners, respectively.
The identical pattern has been prevalent since 2014, with West Bengal recording a minimum of 500 circumstances underneath the Foreigners Act, 1946. Yearly, the figures from the State have been the very best within the nation.
“West Bengal has one of many longest worldwide borders on this nation, which it shares with Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan. So, there’s a excessive probability that individuals of different international locations, together with trespassers, will enter India via West Bengal, particularly contemplating that different bordering States normally have their borders underneath harsh weather conditions or alongside unbreachable geographical boundaries, which isn’t essentially the case right here,” retired Indian Police Service officer Nazrul Islam informed. The Hindu.
He additional defined that even on the whole prison circumstances, when a criminal offense is investigated and the accused is discovered to be a international nationwide, the Foreigners Act, 1939, is added as a piece along with the opposite offenses being recorded towards the accused.
BJP’s ballot plank
This information assumes significance amid ongoing political developments within the State, with the Opposition in West Bengal alleging a excessive diploma of “infiltration” of Bangladeshi nationals and making that their ballot plank for the 2026 West Bengal Meeting election.
Notably, forward of an imposing Particular Intensive Revision (SIR) of West Bengal’s voters’ lists, Bharatiya Janata Get together (BJP) MLA and Chief of Opposition within the State Meeting Suvendu Adhikari has repeatedly alleged that bordering districts adjoining to Bangladesh have undergone a pointy demographic shift as a result of “unlawful foreigners”, and has accused the Mamata Banerjee authorities of not giving adequate land to the Dwelling Ministry for fencing alongside the border.
He and his get together have additionally reiterated their assist for an SIR in West Bengal akin to that of Bihar, alleging that international nationals from Bangladesh and Myanmar illegally penetrated West Bengal’s electoral rolls.
West Bengal’s fencing difficulty
The talk round West Bengal’s border fencing difficulty had intensified earlier this yr when hundreds of migrant staff from West Bengal have been being detained in a number of States on suspicion of being Bangladeshi. nationals.
Fencing alongside the West Bengal-Bangladesh border and the acquisition of land for a similar is at varied levels of implementation for roughly 229 kilometers.
The Dwelling Ministry knowledgeable the Lok Sabha in August this yr that the West Bengal authorities has handed over land alongside 77 km of the State’s border with Bangladesh to the Border Safety Pressure (BSF) for the aim of fencing. and different infrastructure tasks.
Additionally learn: Land acquisition for fencing 148 km of West Bengal-Bangladesh border but to start out.
The Dwelling Ministry had additionally knowledgeable Parliament that the overall size of the Indo–Bangladesh border in West Bengal is 2,216.7 km, out of which 1,647.696 km has already been fenced. “Of the remaining 569.004 km, which has but to be fenced, 112.780 km is non-feasible and 456.224 km is possible,” the response by the Ministry stated in response to a Rajya Sabha query.
Ex-police officer Mr. Islam stated: “At present, the Authorities of India and the Authorities of West Bengal are doubtless in talks relating to the fencing of part of the border. Nevertheless, to my understanding, even when the borders are freshly fenced, Trespassing of foreigners would possibly lower however won’t cease it solely,” former police officer Mr. Islam stated.
Revealed – October 11, 2025 08:06 pm IST