193 declared foreigners pushed back to Bangladesh in two years; Assam repatriates 1,679 illegal immigrants

Guwahati, July 14: Assam has pushed back 193 people declared as foreigners by the state’s Foreigners Tribunals (FTs) to Bangladesh over the past two years, including 67 expelled under the revived Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Act, 1950, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma informed the Assembly on Monday.

Replying to a question by AIUDF MLA Badruddin Ajmal, Sarma said a total of 1,679 illegal immigrants were repatriated—through deportation, expulsion or being sent back to Bangladesh—between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2026.

The chief minister, however, did not provide a district-wise breakup or further details of the repatriation process.

The figures come amid the Assam government’s renewed use of the Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Act, 1950, which was revived last year to facilitate the removal of illegal immigrants from the state. Sarma has earlier described the exercise as “push back” operations.

He told the House that the government had ensured the human rights of those repatriated were protected and clarified that illegal immigrants whose cases or appeals are pending before courts have not been sent back.

In a separate reply to Congress MLA Nurul Islam, the chief minister said Assam currently has 91,385 “D-voters” (doubtful voters) in its electoral rolls.

According to the data, Sonitpur has the highest number of D-voters at 13,719, followed by Barpeta with 8,081.

Sarma further informed the Assembly that 56,728 D-voters have been declared foreigners by the Foreigners Tribunals, while 831 others were upheld as illegal immigrants by higher courts after appeals.

The latest figures provide the first official account of the state’s repatriation drive since the revival of the 1950 law, a move that has become a key component of the Assam government’s strategy to tackle illegal immigration.

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