In a significant move, authorities in Assam have issued a stern 24-hour ultimatum to fifteen individuals, directing them to leave India. This action leverages a long-dormant piece of legislation – the Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Act of 1950.
The Ultimatum and Legal Basis
The orders were issued on December 17 by Nagaon District Commissioner Devasish Sharma. Each order cites the respective Foreigners’ Tribunal verdict that declared the individuals as foreigners, some dating as far back as 1990 and others as recent as 2021. The authorities stated that their presence in India, and specifically Assam, is "detrimental to the interest of the general public and also for the internal security of the State."
Invoking the 1950 Act, the directives command the individuals to "remove yourself from the territory of Assam, India within 24 hours" via specified border routes, ostensibly leading to Bangladesh. Nagaon Superintendent of Police Swapnaneel Deka confirmed that the fifteen people, residents of various villages in Nagaon district, are currently held at the detention centre in Matia, Goalpara. The formal process of their deportation is scheduled to be undertaken on Friday, December 19, 2025.
Background of the 1950 Act and Recent Revival
The Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Act, 1950 (IEAA) is a historic law drafted by the Union Government following pressure from the then Assam government to address migration from East Pakistan after Partition. The Act empowers the government to order any person, ordinarily resident outside India, to remove themselves from Assam or India if their stay is deemed harmful to the public or tribal interests.
This legislation had been inactive for decades. Its revival began in September 2025, when the Assam cabinet approved a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for its use. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has claimed that this Act allows the state to "bypass diplomatic channels" in certain deportation processes, unlike the formal handover procedure which requires mutual verification with the other country.
The first known recent invocation of this Act occurred last month in Sonitpur district, where five declared foreigners were ordered to leave. However, they could not be located at their registered addresses.
Legal Avenues Exhausted
District Commissioner Sharma noted that the fifteen individuals had previously challenged their declared foreigner status in the High Court. "They had filed cases in the High Court, but the court did not uphold their plea," he stated. With their legal appeals unsuccessful, the path was cleared for the administration to proceed with the expulsion orders under the 1950 law.
This development marks a new, assertive phase in Assam's complex and long-standing process of identifying and dealing with individuals deemed to be illegal foreigners, a issue that has profound social and political ramifications in the state.
