Assam deports 330 illegal immigrants as 1950 Expulsion Act revived

Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Monday that 330 illegal immigrants have been deported as part of a new crackdown.

The deportations were done under the Immigrants Expulsion from Assam Act, 1950. This comes after a 2024 Supreme Court ruling that set 1971 as the cut-off year for citizenship in Assam. The ruling also allows the state to take action without going through the Foreigners Tribunal.

“The court confirmed that the 1950 law is still active. District Commissioners can now remove anyone suspected of being a foreigner,” Sarma said in the Assembly.

When asked by the Leader of Opposition, Debabrata Saikia, Sarma said that none of the 330 deported people have returned. Some were sent back even though they had cases in court, but were later brought back as per the court’s direction.

Sarma also explained why NRC rejection slips have been delayed. He said a 2019 Supreme Court order required the NRC data to be fully secured first. A central agency is now working on this, and it should be done in 8 to 12 months.

He raised concerns about errors in the current NRC, like fake names and duplicates. The government has asked for a re-check—20% of names in border areas and 10% in other places. Even the All Assam Students’ Union has called for an updated NRC.

Sarma also said that being listed in the NRC does not stop someone from being declared a foreigner by the Tribunal. “If a Deputy Commissioner believes someone is a foreigner, they can be deported without going to the Tribunal,” he added.