70 Migrants Apply For Indian Citizenship Under CAA In Assam

Guwahati: A total of 70 migrants residing in Assam have applied for Indian citizenship under the CAA, with six applicants having been granted citizenship so far, the Assam Government informed the Legislative Assembly.

Replying to a question on the opening day of the Budget Session, the government said the applications had been processed under the CAA, which was enacted by Parliament in 2019 and came into force in March 2024 following the notification of its rules by the Union Government.

The CAA provides a pathway to Indian citizenship for Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian migrants from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan who entered India on or before 31^st December, 2014.

In another reply tabled in the Assembly, the government stated that 1,72,673 foreigners have been detected in Assam so far, while 31,786 have been deported.

The government further informed the House that 1,572 illegal migrants have been pushed back to Bangladesh under the provisions of the Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Act, 1950, since May 2, 2025. Of these, 866 were from Sribhumi district, 357 from Cachar district, while 68 illegal migrants apprehended by the Railway Police were also among those pushed back.

The implementation of the CAA continues to remain a politically sensitive issue in Assam. The state witnessed widespread protests both before and after the legislation was enacted, with the agitation resulting in several deaths.

Earlier this week, Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma said the number of D-voters among Bengali Hindus in Assam is below one lakh and that none of them are currently lodged in detention centres.

The Chief Minister also stated that the number is likely to increase once the Registrar General of India finalises the 2019 draft of the NRC, as Bengali Hindus excluded from the NRC would subsequently be required to apply for Indian citizenship under the CAA.

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