GUWAHATI: The Supreme Court has sought responses from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and the Assam government regarding the deportation of 211 declared foreign nationals, currently detained in a transit camp at Matia in Assam’s Goalpara district.
During a hearing on a petition concerning the conditions of Assam’s detention centers, a bench comprising Justice Abhay S. Oka and Justice Augustine George Masih also requested the Assam government to respond to a report by the Assam District Legal Services Authority, which highlighted the poor conditions of the camp housing these individuals, including 66 from Bangladesh.
The court observed that the detention camps are in a “deplorable” state, citing inadequate water supply, poor sanitation, and other infrastructural issues. These findings were based on research conducted by the Assam Legal Services Authority.
Regarding the deportation of the 211 foreign nationals, the Supreme Court emphasized that the process requires a “joint effort” by both the Centre and the Assam government. This statement came in response to an affidavit from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, which noted that the power to deport has been delegated to the state government under Section 3 of the Foreigners Act.
Justice Oka remarked that while the Centre may have delegated powers to the state, the responsibility remains shared between the two governments.
The Assam government’s counsel informed the court that it would file an affidavit, noting that nationality verification, particularly for individuals allegedly from Bangladesh, necessitates diplomatic interactions between India’s Ministry of External Affairs and the Bangladeshi government.
The court directed the Supreme Court Registry to place the Assam District Legal Services Authority’s report on record for further consideration. The report contains specific details about the 211 foreign nationals awaiting deportation.
Senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, representing the petitioners, criticized the slow pace of deportations. “Ever since CAA-NRC began, 10 years have passed, and only a handful have been deported. In one affidavit, there were only six deportations out of 2 lakh declared foreign nationals.”
Justice Oka noted that some foreign nationals expressed a desire to return to their home countries, but Gonsalves countered that many are unwilling to go back, having fought ex-parte orders from foreigner tribunals.
ASG KM Natraj, representing the Union, reiterated that all illegal immigrants would be deported. He stated, “All such illegal immigrants will have to be deported…”
Previously, on May 16, a bench of Justices Oka and Bhuyan ordered the immediate deportation of 17 foreign nationals, four of whom had been detained for more than seven years.
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