Assam gives ultimatum to 15 ‘declared foreigners’: Remove yourselves from India in 24 hours

They were declared as ‘foreigners’ from Bangladesh several time, from as far back as 1990 to more recently in 2021

Fifteen people from Assam’s Nagaon district – who had been declared foreigners by tribunals at different points of time – have been asked to leave the state and India by Friday. The direction was issued invoking the state’s powers under the 1950 Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Act.

The 15 people -- of whom six are women -- came from Bangladesh and have been living illegally in India, a Foreigner's Tribunal has ruled.

Nagaon district commissioner Devashish Sarma issued a directive on December 17, asking the 15 people to leave the country within 24 hours of receiving the order. It was handed over to them on Thursday, an official told PTI.

They were declared as ‘foreigners’ from Bangladesh several time, from as far back as 1990 to more recently in 2021.

According to a PTI report, the order stated that the declared foreigners should ''remove themselves from the territory of Assam, India within 24 hours of receiving the order via the Dhubri/Sribhumi/South Salmara-Mankachar route''.

In the event of any default in complying with this order, the ''government would be compelled to take appropriate action to remove you from the territory of state of Assam, India'', it stated.

Among the people declared foreigners are Anowara Begum, Asha Khatun, Hussain Ali, Rahim Sheikh, Burek Ali, Idris Ali, Nazrul Islam, Jahara Khatun, Abdul Aziz, Aheda Khatun, Azufa Khatun, Fazila Khatun, Rustom Ali, Anowar Khan and Taher Ali.

In September this year, the Assam cabinet approved a standard operating procedure (SOP) for the 1950 Act, which had remained dormant since its enactment.

The Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Act, 1950 was framed by the Union government at the time after the then Assam government pressed for measures to curb migration from erstwhile East Pakistan in the years following Partition.