More than 50 individuals declared as foreign nationals are likely to be “pushed back” to Bangladesh within the next month as part of an intensified drive by the Assam government to deport illegal immigrants.
Authorities said that 12 illegal migrants from Bangladesh who were lodged in transit camps were pushed back on Thursday night. With this, more than 30 illegal migrants have been deported from Assam following a recent agreement with Bangladesh.
Sources said the latest pushback operation was carried out through the Sutarkandi area in Karimganj district. Meanwhile, another 12 illegal migrants were reportedly shifted to a holding camp in Matia transit camp in Goalpara district.
Interestingly, officials said the deportation was carried out without prior intimation to the Office of the Assistant High Commission of Bangladesh in Guwahati.
A source in the Assam Police said the process of pushing back declared foreigners has been expedited and the number is expected to increase in the coming days. “The rate of deportation would be unprecedented,” the source added.
Officials in the Home Department said the state government has executed the pushback operations under the provisions of the Assam Cabinet’s September 2023 decision to implement the Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Act, 1950. The Act empowers district commissioners and superintendents of police to expel illegal migrants from the state.
Earlier, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had stated in a social media post that “Mission Clean Assam continues.” He said that within hours, 12 illegal migrants had been identified and pushed back, adding that Assam would not share a single illegal migrant and all such individuals would be sent back.
The Chief Minister had earlier announced that the government aims to deport at least 10,000 illegal migrants annually once they are declared foreigners by the Foreigners’ Tribunals.