Deportations in Assam drop significantly despite poll focus on migration

Guwahati, March 24: Although illegal migration from Bangladesh remains the central political issue in Assam, government data indicates that - despite persistent political rhetoric and mention in manifestos - the identification and deportation of illegal migrants have slowed over the past decade and a half.

The number of deportations of illegal Bangladeshi migrants was 10,602 in 2009, 6,290 in 2010 and 6,761 in 2011. The number began to come down thereafter, to 5,234 in 2013 and 989 in 2014. It dropped further to 474 in 2015, 308 in 2016 and 51 in 2017, according to information given by the government in the Parliament.

Assam government data shows that 1.37 lakh illegal migrants of post-1971 and over 33,000 migrants of the 1966-71 period have been detected in the State so far.

Around 29,600 illegal migrants were “pushed back” between 1986 and 2013, while the number of deportations between 2013 and 2026 stands at 868.

Last year, 1,421 illegal migrants were “pushed back” after they entered India illegally, while 52 were sent back under the Immigrants (Expulsion From Assam) Act, 1950.

Governments have been arguing that Bangladesh refuses to acknowledge the migrants as their citizens, and so deportation has been difficult.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs, around 2,369 cases are awaiting nationality verification by the Government of Bangladesh.

In a recent report to the Parliament, 40 years after the Assam Agitation, a Parliamentary Committee noted that “illegal migration from Bangladesh continues to remain a matter of serious concern, particularly in the border States of West Bengal and Assam.

“The Committee is aware that while the detection, identification, and deportation of illegal Bangladeshi nationals fall within the purview of the Ministry of Home Affairs and respective State Governments under the Foreigners Act, 1946 (now the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025), the Ministry of External Affairs plays an important role in facilitating nationality verification and repatriation of Bangladeshi nationals detained in India,” it said, recommending that a dedicated bilateral mechanism or joint working group be established between India and Bangladesh to monitor the progress of nationality verification and repatriation to expedite the verification process.

An exercise to update the NRC was undertaken, but it remains inconclusive.

Senior Advocate Upamanyu Hazarika, who has recently authored a book on the NRC process (NRC- Turning Hope into Despair), says that NRC, segregating citizens and non-citizens, is no longer a priority.

“In recent times, the focus of the government is on delimitation of constituencies, which cannot be an answer to the 80 lakhs illegal migrants in the State, as no migrant is identified, stripped of rights and deported, rather treated as citizens and political impact sought to be minimised by redrawing constituencies. There is no alternative to a correct, reverified NRC, on which the government is reluctant,” he felt, adding that the foreigner issue is raised only in election time to tap on indigenous sentiment and in between is conveniently forgotten.