Assam will “push back” undocumented migrants into Bangladesh within a week of them being declared foreigners by the Foreigners’ Tribunals, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Thursday.

He added that the state government does “not need” a repatriation treaty between New Delhi and Dhaka for this, according to The New Indian Express.

Speaking to reporters, Sarma also said that in the last three months, the Assam government had forced 2,000 persons into Bangladesh. He added that this was adopted as a policy after the revival of the 1950 Immigrants Expulsion from Assam Act.

The Act grants power to district commissioners and senior superintendents of police to expel “illegal migrants” from the state by bypassing the Foreigners’ Tribunals.

In September, the Assam Cabinet approved the framing of a standard operating procedure under the Act. Earlier, cases pertaining to undocumented migrants were handled by the Foreigners’ Tribunals.

Foreigners’ Tribunals in Assam are quasi-judicial bodies that adjudicate on matters of citizenship. They have been accused of arbitrariness and bias, and of declaring people foreigners on the basis of minor spelling mistakes, a lack of documents or lapses in memory.

Those declared foreigners by the tribunals have the option to appeal the decision before the Gauhati High Court or the Supreme Court. Additionally, as the formal process entails undocumented migrants being handed over to the authorities of the other country...

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