Declared foreigners 20 years ago, 2 women told to remove themselves from India

Similar to the ones issued in Nagaon, the Biswanath orders invoke the 1950 Act and direct the individuals to “remove yourself from the territory of Assam, India within 24 hours from receiving this order via the Dhubri/Sribhumi/South Salmara-Mankachar route.”

According to the orders, the two women were declared foreigners by Foreigners Tribunals in Biswanath district in 2005.

Biswanath SP Ajagwran Basumatary said both women are currently under detention and are being held at the Matia centre. “Their deportation is under process, and will be undertaken in due time after receiving the green signal from the Border Security Force,” he said.

The IEAA, 1950 was legislation drafted to check migration from then East Pakistan in the years following Partition. The Act stated that if the central government was of the opinion that the stay of any person —ordinarily a resident of any place outside India and had come to Assam either before or after the commencement of the Act — in Assam “is detrimental to the interests of the general public of India or any section thereof or of any Scheduled Tribe in Assam”, it could direct such a person to “remove himself or themselves” from Assam or India “within such time and by such route as may be specified in the order.”