GUWAHATI: The Centre is likely to take a decision on the deportation of foreigners from Assam by March 21, the Supreme Court was told on Tuesday, February 25.
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Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing before a bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan, stated that a final decision on the deportation of identified foreigners in Assam is expected by March 21. He informed that the issue of deporting individuals declared as foreigners in Assam is currently being considered at the highest executive level.
He also sought time, which the court granted while posting the next hearing to March 21.
Earlier, on February 4, the Supreme Court criticized the Assam government for keeping declared foreigners in detention centres indefinitely instead of deporting them. The bench had sarcastically questioned if the state was waiting for an auspicious time ("muhurat") to act.
The court also reprimanded the state for failing to send nationality verification forms to the Ministry of External Affairs, arguing that the detainees’ unknown foreign addresses were not a valid excuse for inaction.
In a previous hearing on January 22, the Supreme Court dismissed Assam’s affidavit on the detention of 270 foreigners at the Matia transit camp, calling it "defective" for not explaining why these individuals were being held. The court directed the Assam State Legal Services Authority to conduct surprise visits at the centre to inspect food quality and hygiene conditions.
During an earlier session on May 16, 2024, the Supreme Court urged the Centre to prioritize the deportation of individuals who had been in detention for over two years. The immediate removal of 17 detainees from the Matia detention centre was specifically highlighted.
A petition before the court has also sought a directive preventing the Assam government from detaining any individual declared a foreigner unless the state can prove a concrete plan for their deportation in the near future.