Assam Cabinet clears SOP for expulsion of illegal immigrants

Guwahati, Sep 9 The Assam Cabinet on Tuesday approved a detailed Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) under the Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Act, 1950, to enable district authorities to identify and expel illegal migrants from the state, marking a significant step in the government’s effort to address concerns over unchecked immigration.

Talking to reporters here, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said, “The SOP empowers District Commissioners (DCs) and Senior Superintendents of Police (SSPs) to act on credible information about suspected illegal immigrants. Under the new framework, a suspected person will be asked to submit evidence of Indian citizenship within 10 days. If the documents are deemed insufficient, the DC must issue a written order declaring the individual an illegal immigrant, supported by reasons and findings.”

“Once identified, the DC will issue an expulsion order under Section 2(a) of the 1950 Act, giving the individual 24 hours to leave Assam through a specified route. In cases where persons have already been declared foreigners by Foreigners’ Tribunals (DFNs), the DC will directly issue expulsion orders, as such individuals are understood to have exhausted all legal remedies,” he added.

The SOP also directs the capturing of biometric and demographic details of identified migrants on the Foreigners Identification Portal before expulsion. If a person refuses to comply, the DC, with the SSP’s assistance, can place the individual in a holding centre or hand them over to the border guarding forces for deportation. Migrants caught near the zero line, or within 12 hours of entry into Assam, will be “pushed back” immediately without further process.

Alongside the SOP, the Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, also cleared several other important decisions. It gave its ex post facto approval for the release of Rs 5 crore from the Chief Minister’s Public Emergency Fund of Assam as financial aid to the ‘Chief Minister Relief Fund Himachal Pradesh’ to support relief work in the hill state hit by heavy monsoon rains.

In another move, the Cabinet approved the correction of pay anomalies affecting 20 staff members, including physiotherapists, speech therapists, accountants, and cashiers serving in Jorhat Medical College and Hospital and in model hospitals under the state health department.

It further endorsed an amendment to the Assam Agricultural Produce and Livestock Marketing Act, 2020, bringing it in line with the Centre’s Model Act of 2017 to ensure better access to markets for small and marginal farmers and to facilitate transparent and competitive bidding for higher price realisation.

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