In the first application of the Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Act, 1950, following its implementation approval by the Assam cabinet earlier this year, the Sonitpur district administration has ordered five individuals, designated as “declared foreigners” by a tribunal in 2024, to leave India within 24 hours.
According to police reports, the five individuals—four women and a man, all residents of Dhobokata village—are currently evading authorities. The Indian Express noted that the families have been absent from the village for over a decade.
The expulsion orders, signed by Deputy Commissioner Ananda Kumar Das, stem from cases referred to the Sonitpur Foreigners Tribunal No. 2 in 2006. After a prolonged delay, the tribunal ruled that the individuals were foreigners this year. The Deputy Commissioner’s order stated that their presence in Assam is detrimental to public interest and internal security. Under the provisions of the 1950 Act, the orders require them to exit Indian territory via the Dhubri/Sribhumi/South Salmara–Mankachar route, leading to Bangladesh.
The order also indicates that failure to comply will result in the administration taking “appropriate action” to ensure their removal from Assam. According to Sonitpur Senior Superintendent of Police Barun Purkayastha, the individuals are currently untraceable, and efforts are underway to locate them for lawful action.
Local residents stated that the families migrated to Dhobokata from central Assam nearly 20 years ago but left shortly after issues arose concerning their citizenship status. “They were viewed with suspicion, and there were issues. They left the village around that time,” said Zakir Hussain, a nearby resident.
In September, the Assam Cabinet approved a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for implementing the 1950 act, granting District Commissioners authority to require “suspected foreigners” to prove their citizenship within ten days or face evacuation orders. According to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, this update allows the state government to bypass the existing citizenship determination system.
The act was established by the Union government in response to ongoing requests from the Assam administration to manage post-Partition migration from East Pakistan. It empowers the central government or designated officials to direct any person, considered outside India and a potential detriment to public interest, to leave the area within a specified timeframe and route.
Traditionally, deportations involve diplomatic verification and handover. However, Chief Minister Sarma has argued that the 1950 Act enables the state to bypass diplomatic channels, raising concerns among legal experts regarding the enforcement of such expulsions.
The Foreigners Tribunal is under intensified scrutiny amidst escalating controversy surrounding Assam’s 2025 pushback operations, which critics argue reflect communal bias. Rights advocates and opposition leaders contend that the BJP-led government is disproportionately targeting Bengali-speaking Muslims, often referred to as “illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators,” under the guise of deporting undocumented immigrants. Reports suggest that these operations may involve forcibly sending individuals across the Bangladesh border, drawing significant criticism for potentially bypassing due process and raising humanitarian concerns.
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