Guwahati: The Assam government has recently issued a letter to its border police unit, advising them not to forward cases of non-Muslim illegal immigrants who entered the state before 2015 to the Foreigners Tribunal, in light of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019.
This act grants Indian citizenship to non-Muslim immigrants who came from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan before December 31, 2014. The letter states that individuals belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Parsi, Jain, and Christian communities should be advised to apply for citizenship through the designated online portal. However, this facility is not applicable to those who entered Assam after December 31, 2014, regardless of their religion.
The Chief Minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma, clarified that this decision was made in accordance with the law and that anyone who arrived in Assam after 2015 would be deported.
This move aligns with the provisions of the Assam Accord, which aims to identify and deport all foreigners who entered the state after March 25, 1971. The government’s decision reflects their efforts to streamline the process for non-Muslim immigrants to attain citizenship under the CAA and uphold the Assam Accord’s principles.
