Assam approves SOP to expel illegal migrants

In Assam more than 30,000 illegal immigrants have been pushed back til date and around 82,000 cases are pending in the Foreigners Tribunals in the State.Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, briefing the media in Guwahati on Tuesday, said that the Assam Cabinet has approved an SOP to implement the Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Act, 1950, in a move to expedite the process of detection and push-back of illegal migrants. Under the SOP, the District Commissioner (DC) will be empowered to issue an expulsion Order to any person who, in the view of the DC, is a foreigner. Through this Act, the DC will serve a 10-day notice to the suspect, and if he or she cannot prove his/her citizenship within this period, the DC will immediately issue an order to evacuate the person. Thereafter, the person will be kept at the holding centre before being pushed back by the BSF. In the case where the DC cannot conclude, it can refer the matter to the Foreigners Tribunal. In the case of illegal migrants detected within 24 hours of illegal entry into the State, no notice will be required.He alleged that the illegal immigration was increased during the previous Congress government in Assam.

जानिए कैसे कांग्रेस की तत्कालीन सरकार ने चोरी-छिपे असम में घुसपैठियों को संरक्षण दिया। pic.twitter.com/yZtzaVMKrp

— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) September 9, 2025

while upholding the Constitutional validity of Section 6A of the Citizenship Act, a Constitutional Bench of the Supreme Court had last year clearly indicated that the Government of Assam is free to use the 1950 Act to detect and deport foreigners. He also said that the process of detection and expulsion of foreigners through the Foreigners Tribunals is cumbersome and long-drawn.