Assam faces hurdles deporting 63 foreigners as detainees refuse to reveal nationality; Supreme Court orders action
Guwahati: The observation of the supreme court on 63 individuals, deemed foreigners languishing in detention camps in Assam, has triggered angry reaction from opposition political parties while officials have expressed their helplessness in deporting them due to non-cooperation of these detainees.
Pointing out that the 63 individuals have not divulged their nationality or address, security sources said that it was posing a unique problem for authorities in deporting them. Security sources said that in case of their deportation, authorities have to submit the detailed address and evidence of their nationality to their counterparts on the international border with Bangladesh.
Informing that deportation of an individual from India is accepted only if their counterpart in Bangladesh successfully verify and ascertain the identify and addresses of those individuals being handed over for deportation, security sources said that these 63 of the 270 inmates of the Matia “transit camp” – the designated detention camp for “illegal foreigners” in Assam, have not revealed their addresses deliberately. Alleging that they are backed by some forces within the country, security sources said that in December, the court had granted the state government time to file an affidavit explaining the reasons for detaining the 270 individuals there and the steps taken for their deportation. As the matter was pending before the supreme court, authorities in Assam refused to say anything on record.
Meanwhile, leader of Asom Jatiya Parishad Jagdish Bhuyan on Wednesday criticised the BJP government for its failure in deporting these declared foreigners. Mr Bhuyan said that the BJP government that boasted of their anti-foreigners stand failed to deport even 63 foreigners.
It is significant that the Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Assam government to initiate the deportation process for 63 individuals currently held in detention centres within the next two weeks.nThe order came as the court expressed displeasure over the state’s delay in deporting individuals who have been declared "foreigners" by the Foreigners’ Tribunal.
A division bench of Justices Abhay S. Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan questioned the government’s failure to deport the individuals, stating that once someone is identified as a “foreigner”, the deportation process should begin immediately.
"You have refused to start deportation saying their addresses are not known. Why should it be our concern? You deport them to their foreign country. Are you waiting for some muhurat (auspicious time)?", the apex court observed.
