‘Illegal immigrants will be pushed back immediately’: Assam CM

Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday said that individuals identified as “illegal immigrants” can be deported to Bangladesh even if their names appear in the National Register of Citizens (NRC), asserting that inclusion in the list alone does not guarantee Indian citizenship.

“If we are reasonably sure they are illegal immigrants, we will push them back immediately,” Sarma told the media. He added that many names were “manipulatively and cleverly” included in the NRC, casting doubt on the credibility of the process.

The NRC, published in August 2019, aimed to distinguish Indian citizens from undocumented immigrants in Assam. To be included, residents had to prove that they or their ancestors entered the state before midnight on March 24, 1971. Over 19 lakh people, around 5.77% of applicants, were excluded from the final list.

The NRC has not been notified by the Union government following objections by the Bharatiya Janata Party-led state government and Assamese nationalist groups who have demanded reverification.

Sarma’s remarks came shortly after he announced the deportation of 19 “illegal immigrants” on Tuesday, with nine more to be deported on Wednesday. In a social media post, he said the NRC process had raised “serious doubts and concerns” and that mere inclusion in the list should not be seen as proof of legal status.

His latest comments follow his June 7 claim that the Supreme Court had clarified that the Assam government is not required to seek judicial permission to identify and deport foreigners. Citing an old legal provision, the ‘Immigrants Expulsion Order’, Sarma said district collectors are empowered to issue deportation orders under this law, which remains in force.

In October, the Supreme Court upheld the constitutional validity of Section 6A of the Citizenship Act, 1955, which grants citizenship to immigrants who entered Assam between January 1, 1966, and March 25, 1971, as per the Assam Accord. However, many indigenous groups in the state argue that this provision has legalized illegal immigration from Bangladesh.

Sarma has repeatedly defended Assam’s recent efforts to deport declared foreigners. On May 31, he stated that 303 such individuals had been “pushed back” to Bangladesh under the 1950 order and that the process would continue. His remarks came amid rising reports of detentions, with several families claiming their relatives were missing and later identified in videos from Bangladesh, alleging forced deportation.

The Foreigners Tribunals, which determine citizenship status in Assam, have long faced criticism for arbitrary rulings and procedural lapses. Allegations include declaring people foreigners over minor errors, missing documents, or lapses in memory.

Sarma insisted that the recent deportations were being carried out in compliance with a Supreme Court directive issued on 4 February, which instructed the Assam government to begin deporting foreign nationals held in detention centers without further delay.