Only 224 illegal foreigners lodged at Matia transit camp in Goalpara district of Assam

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The Assam government has constructed a transit camp (earlier called detention camps) for detaining illegal foreigners at Matia in Goalpara district. There are only 224 detenues lodged in the transit camp at present.

The construction of such a detention camp was necessitated due to the fact that Assam has been bearing the brunt of illegal influx of foreigners from Bangladesh for quite some time. For the construction of the camp, the Union Ministry of Home affairs provided Rs 46 crores to the state government. This was designed to be the largest such detention camp in the country, with a capacity of hosting 3,000 detenues.

Before the construction of the Matia transit camp, there were six detention camps in six jails in the state, where foreigners were kept after detection as illegal foreigners by the Foreigners’ Tribunals (FTs) since 2009. After completion of the Matia camp, the illegal foreigners were shifted there. The camp became operational in the early part of 2023.

According to available information, a total of only 224 detenues are lodged at the camp, despite being designed to house 3,000 persons. Of the 224, 210 are Muslims and 14 are Hindus. Out of the total number of 224, there are 36 children there.

After a person is declared as foreigner by the FTs, a vanishing act is adopted by the person concerned. Due to this, the police are unable to trace them very easily.

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