'The emphasis is on execution, not identification.'
More than 780 illegal immigrants have been pushed back from Assam since 2024, as the state government sharpened its crackdown on illegal immigration by invoking the Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Act, 1950, a long-standing law now being used to fast-track the removal of those already declared foreigners through legal processes.
Officials said the renewed use of the 1950 Act is intended to ensure quicker administrative action once an individual has been legally identified as a foreigner.
"There were numerous cases where people had been declared foreigners years ago, but enforcement did not follow. This law allows district administrations to act decisively after due process is complete," a senior official said.
Under the current framework, district commissioners have been empowered to issue expulsion orders in cases where Foreigners' Tribunals or other competent authorities have already determined a person's status.
Officials stressed that the Act is not being used to identify fresh cases.
"The determination process remains unchanged. The Act only strengthens implementation after legal decisions are final," an official said.
District administrations across Assam have begun acting on these directions. In several districts, orders have been issued asking declared foreigners to leave Indian territory within specified timeframes.
Officials said the focus is on clearing a backlog of cases that had remained unresolved for years.
"The emphasis is on execution, not identification," an official said.
The drive is being supported by coordinated enforcement involving district authorities, the Assam police and central security forces deployed along the international border.
Officials said surveillance and joint operations have been intensified in sensitive areas.
"All actions are being taken after verification and in coordination with border agencies," an official said.
Providing updated figures, officials said that of the over 780 people pushed back since 2024, more than 330 were sent back during intensified operations in 2025, including around 300 since May this year.
The government clarified that these figures are based on officially documented operations carried out after verification.
"Earlier data was not centrally compiled, but recent operations are being recorded in a systematic manner," an official said.
Officials also noted that there is no consolidated official figure for pushbacks going back to 2001, as enforcement in earlier years was sporadic and records were not maintained in a uniform format.
"What we can reliably state are the numbers from recent years, when coordination and documentation improved," an official said.
The Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Act, 1950, enacted in the aftermath of Partition, was designed to deal with large-scale migration into the state.
While it remained in force, the law was rarely used in recent decades, with Assam relying primarily on Foreigners' Tribunals under the Foreigners Act.
Officials said the present move is about using an existing legal provision more effectively.
"This is about ensuring that legal decisions are not left unenforced," an official said.
The renewed push comes amid continuing debates on citizenship, border management and demographic pressures in Assam.
Officials said concerns about due process were being addressed.
"Action is being taken only in cases where legal remedies have been exhausted," an official said.
For the state government led by Himanta Biswa Sarma, the stepped-up use of the 1950 Act signals a tougher administrative phase in tackling illegal immigration, with the focus now firmly on enforcement rather than prolonged pendency.
Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff
© 2026