Overview
- Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced that anyone ruled a foreigner by a Foreigners’ Tribunal will be pushed back within a week to prevent delays from appeals.
- The government says nearly 2,000 people have been pushed back in recent months, including 18 on December 31, as part of accelerated operations along the border.
- Officials point to the Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Act, 1950 and the Supreme Court’s 2024 ruling upholding Section 6A read with the Act, with district commissioners empowered to order expulsions.
- A state SOP outlines rapid timelines, including orders to leave within 10 days and 24-hour expulsion if citizenship cannot be proven, formalizing action by district administrations.
- Sarma frames the pushback drive as a centerpiece of the pre-poll agenda on identity and development, projecting expulsions could reach 10,000–50,000 a year if identifications increase.