The Assam government has informed the state Assembly that 193 persons declared as foreigners by Foreigners Tribunals have been sent to Bangladesh over the last two years, including an infant who crossed the border with her mother.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who also holds the Home portfolio, tabled the figures on Monday in response to a question by All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) MLA Badruddin Ajmal during the ongoing Budget Session.
1,679 People Sent to Bangladesh Since July 2024
According to the data submitted by the government, a total of 1,679 undocumented immigrants were repatriated to Bangladesh between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2026.
The government classified them as persons who were formally deported, sent back or expelled. The figure includes convicted foreign nationals, identified undocumented immigrants and persons declared foreigners by Foreigners Tribunals.
Of the 193 declared foreigners, 67 were expelled under the Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Act, 1950, which empowers district authorities to expel certain illegal migrants without routing the matter through Foreigners Tribunals.
The remaining 126 declared foreigners were categorised as persons who were “sent back”. The list also includes an infant girl who crossed into Bangladesh with her mother after she had been declared a foreigner.
Government Says Appeals Are Not Pending Before Repatriation
Replying to another question from Ajmal, the government stated that no identified illegal immigrant is repatriated if any appeal is pending before the Gauhati High Court or the Supreme Court.
It added that it does not have information on whether any repatriated person later approached either court.
Supreme Court Stresses Fair Citizenship Process
The Assembly disclosure came on the same day that the Supreme Court set aside 27 judgments of the Gauhati High Court that had upheld Foreigners Tribunal orders declaring individuals as foreigners.
A Bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta remanded the cases to the concerned tribunals for fresh adjudication, observing that questions relating to citizenship carry “high constitutional significance” and must be decided through a fair, lawful and reasonable process.
Many of the cases involved ex parte orders, where proceedings had been conducted in the absence of the persons concerned.
Foreigners Tribunals Under Scrutiny
Foreigners Tribunals are quasi-judicial bodies in Assam that determine citizenship claims based largely on documentary evidence establishing residence in India before the March 24, 1971 cut-off date under the Assam Accord.
Persons declared foreigners by these tribunals can challenge the orders before the Gauhati High Court and subsequently the Supreme Court.
The tribunals have, however, faced criticism from rights groups and legal experts over allegations of arbitrariness, including decisions based on minor spelling errors, missing documents or inconsistencies in testimony.
Government Shares D-Voter Data
In response to another Assembly question, the Assam government said there are 91,385 “D-Voters” (Doubtful Voters) on the state’s electoral rolls.
According to the government, 56,728 D-Voters have been declared foreigners by Foreigners Tribunals, while 831 persons who challenged such findings were subsequently held to be foreigners by higher courts.
