'Illegals Cannot Hide Behind NRC...': Assam CM Reiterates SC Order As Govt Fast-Tracks Deportation

Guwahati: The Assam Cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday approved a new Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) empowering District Commissioners (DCs) and Additional DCs to handle identification and deportation of foreigners, bypassing the Foreigners' Tribunals. What's more significant is that the decision, made during the weekly Cabinet meeting at Dispur, aims to complete the deportation process within 10 days of issuance of notice.

Addressing a press conference, CM Sarma said the Supreme Court has already made it clear that illegals cannot hide behind NRC (National Register of Citizens) to evade deportation. He highlighted the Apex Court's recent ruling validating Clause 6A of the Citizenship Act, which fixes March 24, 1971, as the cutoff date for citizenship under the Assam Accord. "The Supreme Court's Constitutional bench gave a landmark judgment affirming 1971 as the cutoff year and ruled that foreigners who entered Assam after this date can be deported under the Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Act, 1950. This means Foreigners' Tribunals are no longer necessary," he said.

Sarma cited that the Foreigners' Tribunals currently handle 82,000 pending cases in a slow and cumbersome process. The new SOP authorises DCs to issue notices to suspected foreigners, who will then have 10 days to prove citizenship. "If the documents are unsatisfactory, the DC will order deportation. After this, the person will be moved to a holding centre and repatriated through coordination with the BSF," he added.

The Chief Minister further stated, "We have so far deported 30,126 foreigners, and this number will increase significantly."

He, however, clarified that the process applies only to those without stay orders from higher courts. "No new cases will be sent to tribunals, but unresolved or complex cases can still be referred," he said.

Addressing concerns over NRC and Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), Sarma said, "This is separate from NRC and CAA. Regarding Bengali Hindus, most people arrived before 1971 and have no controversy. Only 12 people applied under CAA, with three of them granted citizenship."

He added, "There is no relevance of 'Ka' in Assam anymore; it is not applicable to Bengali Hindus and they should not be viewed with suspicion."

Sarma also criticised the previous Congress governments for allegedly undermining Assam's Special Immigration laws. "After the Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunals) Act was struck down, Congress introduced Foreigners' Tribunals, which slowed deportations. The Supreme Court has now reaffirmed the special 1950 Act," he said.

Under the SOP, upon suspicion, the DC will notify the concerned person(s), granting 10 days for citizenship proof. Failure in providing evidence will result in deportation orders and transfer to detention centers. "This will speed up the deportation process. We already deport 30-35 people every week, and now the pace will increase," Sarma affirmed.

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