Overview

• The Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Act, 1950 empowers the central government and delegated district officials to expel individuals deemed detrimental to Assam’s public interest without tribunal hearings.
• Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the state has already executed pushbacks of people declared foreigners, excluding those with ongoing court cases, and will accelerate detection after delays caused by the NRC update.
• In October 2024, a Supreme Court Constitutional Bench ruled that Section 6A of the Citizenship Act must incorporate the 1950 expulsion law, affirming that Assam can deport migrants without invoking Foreigners Tribunals.
• Minority groups such as the AIUDF and various student unions have protested the expedited deportation drive, alleging harassment of Indian Muslims on suspicion of illegal immigration.
• Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal reported that over 2,000 nationality verification requests are pending with Bangladesh and urged Dhaka to speed up the process to facilitate deportations.