Gauhati HC Raises Alarm Over 1.16 Lakh Declared Foreigners Still at Large in Assam

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The Gauhati High Court has expressed concern over 1.16 lakh declared foreigners in the state who are yet to be apprehended.

Hearing a writ petition filed by one Hamida Begum, who was declared foreigner by a Foreigners' Tribunal (FT) in Jorhat, a bench of Justice Kalyan Rai Surana and Justice Mridul Kumar Kalita noted that the 1,16,946 declared foreign nationals across 36 districts are yet to be apprehended and expelled as on June 30, 2026, as per the data shared by the Assam government in its affidavit.

According to the bench, it showed a very grim picture when it comes to the expulsion of the foreigners and declared foreign nationals in Assam.

Noting that the state government has made all arrangements for expulsion of the petitioner out of the country, and in light of the provisions of Section 3 (2) of the Foreigners Act, 1946 and Section 4 of the Foreigners Act, 1946, the court ruled that it was disinclined to direct the authorities to release the petitioner, rejecting her plea for release.

The court observed that, after being declared foreigner, the petitioner had exhausted her available remedy by challenging the FT's opinion before the high court twice as well as before the Supreme Court, unsuccessfully. Hence, the state government is now contemplating expulsion of the petitioner.

And as the state government has taken all necessary steps for expulsion of petitioner, the bench ruled that the writ petition was not maintainable, nor the petitioner entitled for bail.