In a significant move to curb illegal immigration, the Assam government has detected and pushed back more than 2,000 individuals attempting to cross into India through the state's borders over the last three months. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced this on Thursday, declaring a new, aggressive "push-back" policy as a hallmark initiative for the coming year.
A New, Aggressive Stance on Border Security
Chief Minister Sarma stated that his administration has adopted a "non-compromising attitude" on the issue of illegal foreigners. He framed this as the next major focus for his government, following years of efforts to clear encroachments from government and forest lands. The newly formalized "push-back" mechanism, he said, has become official government policy after the Supreme Court upheld the state's Illegal Immigrant Expulsion Act.
"We detected and pushed back more than 2,000 people in the last three months. As a result, the inflow of illegal foreigners into Assam has been reduced at a much faster rate," Sarma explained. He expressed confidence that if the BJP-led alliance returns to power, the state could expel between 10,000 and 50,000 illegal immigrants annually over the next five years.
Streamlining Expulsion to Prevent Legal Delays
A critical component of the new policy is its aim to expedite the deportation process. Sarma highlighted that under the new "push-back" policy, individuals declared foreigners by the state's Foreigners Tribunals (FTs) will be expelled within one week of the tribunal's order.
This decision is intended to prevent long delays caused when declared foreigners approach higher courts. "We felt there was a need to adopt a non-compromising attitude on the issue of illegal foreigners," Sarma emphasized. Citing the Supreme Court's order, he clarified that once a person is declared a foreigner, district authorities are fully empowered to expel them from the state.
The Data Behind the Drive
Official state government data provides context for this intensified drive. The figures reveal:
- Between May 2021 and November 2025, Foreigners Tribunals disposed of 59,757 cases.
- Out of these, 30,264 people were declared foreigners.
- During this period, a total of 1,517 persons—including declared foreigners, convicted foreign nationals, and fresh illegal migrants—were deported or pushed back.
The Chief Minister also pointed to what he sees as a gap in the historic 1985 Assam Accord, noting it did not provide clear guidelines for expelling illegal immigrants after their detection. He added that even those previously lodged in detention centres enjoyed facilities similar to their life in villages, an implication his new policy seeks to change.
With this announcement, the Assam government signals a hardened stance on border security, aiming to translate judicial declarations into swift administrative action to control illegal immigration.
