1,422 illegal foreigners ‘sent back’ between Feb 2025 & Jan 2026: Bora tells House

Guwahati, Feb 18: From December 20, 2025, to January 31, 2026, 51 declared foreigners and one new illegal immigrant have been expelled from the country under the Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Act, 1950, the Assembly was informed on Wednesday.

Assam Accord Implementation Minister Atul Bora, replying to a question by Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) legislator Ramendra Narayan Kalita on the Assam Accord, said that another 1,421 illegal foreigners were “sent back” as per orders from the Ministry of Home Affairs between February 1, 2025, and January 31, 2026.

Bora further added that over 1.70 lakh illegal foreigners have been detected in the state so far under provisions of the Assam Accord, while about 31,000 have been pushed back in the last 40 years.

Bora said that as per provision of Accord, 1,37,152 illegal immigrants who entered the state post-1971 till December 31, 2025, and another 33,485 who came between 1966 and 1971 have been identified and declared as foreigners.

From 1985 to March 12, 2013, 29,663 illegal foreigners were sent back to their country through “Push Back” process. Between March 13, 2013, and January 31, 2026, Bora said, 468 were sent back through the “Deportation” process, of whom 458 were convicted foreigners and 10 declared foreigners.

Regarding fencing of the border, Bora said that fencing of the India-Bangladesh border in Assam has been nearly completed, barring a 4.35 km stretch in Sribhumi objected to by Border Guard Bangladesh.

Barbed wire fencing has been erected along 228.541 km, he informed the House. He further added that the rest is the river border between the two countries, which is guarded through a Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System by the Border Security Force (BSF).

Assam shares 267.5 km of boundary with Bangladesh in Dhubri, Soulth Salmara-Mankachar, Cachar and Sribhumi districts.

Bora, responding to a question by the Congress' Debabrata Saikia, said the Bangladesh border along Assam is guarded by 91 border outposts (BOPs) of BSF, 14 BOPs of the Assam Police as a second line of defence and 14 patrol posts.

Process is on for setting up an additional 13 BOPs of Assam Police and 12 border police stations, he added.

On the implementation of recommendations of Justice (retd) Biplab Sharma committee on Clause 6 of the Assam Accord, Bora said the report was received by the state government on behalf of the Centre, which had formed the panel. Clause 6 deals with various Constitutional safeguards for the people of the state.

Bora said out of 67 recommendations of the committee, 52 came under the purview of the state government and work on implementing these have already commenced.

"The Central government has been contacted for implementation of the 15 recommendations which come under its purview," he added.

PTI