The Assam government will no longer initiate legal proceedings against infiltrators and will instead push them back at the border, marking a shift in its approach to illegal immigration. “As soon as an illegal infiltrator is identified, we will ensure they are pushed back across the Indo-Bangladesh border,” Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced the decision on Saturday, May 10, following a cabinet meeting held earlier on the same day.
“The earlier method of filing cases only encouraged prolonged court battles, he added, highlighting the unsustainability of the previous system. Sarma further informed that the majority of detainees held in Assam’s transit centres have already been deported. This includes individuals identified as Rohingya, who were previously held under custody. There are around 30 to 40 remaining detainees at the Matia facility in Goalpara, most of whom are still undergoing judicial proceedings.
The move has been implemented to strengthen border management, particularly along the Indo-Bangladesh boundary. Authorities have also been instructed to carry out stricter identification protocols in coordination with border security forces in the coming months.
