GUWAHATI: The Supreme Court of India has directed the Assam State Legal Services Authority to conduct surprise inspections at the Matia transit camp for foreigners. This is following a directive issued by it on Friday, October 4 in the wake of growing concerns over the treatment of detainees.
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Justices Abhay S. Oka and Augustine George Masih are directing the Secretary of State Legal Services Authority to appoint officers to conduct these unannounced visits. Inspections will throw into relief conditions at the camp where people classified as foreigners are kept before their deportation.
It ordered a comprehensive report detailing the findings from the inspections, which will be done within a month, and set November 4 as a date for follow-up. It indicates that the court is more determined that people must be brought to accountability and things in the camp improved.
This order follows the remarks of the Supreme Court on July 26 on the "deplorable state of affairs in Assam's detention centers, calling to this Court's attention a shortage of drinking water, lack of sanitation facilities, and unsanitary conditions. What the new order undertows is those conclusions from that case, making the point that conditions must meet the minimum acceptable standards prescribed by international human rights law.".
This was reiterated in earlier hearings, such as May 16 where the Supreme Court pointed out that serious focus needs to be provided to the status of the 17 declared foreigners at Matia detention center. Furthermore, plea to the court argued that Assam government cannot detain anyone declared a foreigner without any realistic possibility of deportation in near future, once again appealing for benign treatment of all persons within the system.
