Nearly 1.60 Lakh 'Illegal Foreigners' Detected, over 30,000 Deported: Assam Govt

Minister Atul Bora informed the State Assembly that 1,59,353 foreigners were detected in Assam till December 2023, of which, 30,101 were deported till January 31, 2024.

Guwahati:A total of 30,101 foreigners have been deported from Assam till January 31 based on the Assam Accord, minister Atul Bora told the State Assembly on Thursday.

Bora said that a total of 1,59,353 people have been identified as foreigners in Assam till December 2023 as per the provisions of the accord. Of these, 30,101 foreign nationals have been deported from the state till January 31, he said.

The minister was responding to MLA Aminul Islam (Jr) who had asked about the number of illegal Bangladeshi nationals identified and deported by the state government so far based on the provisions of the accord. The MLA also asked whether any discussion has been held with the Centre about the people who are being held in the detention camps and the status of the constitutional safeguards of Assamese as per Clause 6 of the Assam Accord.

Replying to this, Bora said till January this year, 203 people have been detained at the transit camps. He also informed that the Government of Assam has constituted a sub-committee for Clause 6 and it is studying as well as reviewing the contents of all other clauses along with Clause 6. He said that discussions have been held by the sub-committee five times so far and further measures will be taken only after a thorough study and review are completed.

Bora further said that it is not yet decided as to who the indigenous residents are in Assam. The definition of "Assamese" mentioned in the Assam Accord has also not been defined yet, he added.

How Assam Accord works?According to the Assam Accord, January 1, 1966 will be the base date for the detection and deletion of foreigners from the electoral rolls. It provides for all those who came to Assam before the said date including those whose names were used in the 1967 elections to be regularised.

As for those who migrated from neighbouring countries after January 1, 1966 and upto March 24, 1971, they will be dealt with per the provisions of the Foreigners Act, 1946 and the Foreigners (Tribunals) Order 1964.

Those detected will be required to register themselves before the Registration Officers of the respective districts in accordance with the provisions of the Registration of Foreigners Act, 1939 and the Registration of Foreigners Rules, 1939. The names of those deleted from the electoral rolls shall be restored after a period of 10 years.

Those who illegally re-entered after being repatriated will have to be expelled. All those who came on or after March 25, 1971 will continue to be detected, deleted and expelled in accordance with law.

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