Thirteen Bangladesh nationals deported: Centre to SC

Delhi: The Centre on Friday informed the Supreme Court that 13 Bangladesh nationals were deported to their country so far and consultations were on to repatriate the remaining illegal immigrants living in Assam’s detention centres.

Solicitor general Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre and the Assam government, informed a bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan that the Bangladesh High Commission was involved in the process of deportation as it had to first ascertain whether the detenues were Bangladesh nationals.

Mehta referred to the deportation process and said there were two classes of illegal foreigners, including persons declared asnon Indians whose nationality was known.

The other category involved those whom the tribunal declared as non Indians but their nationality was not known, he said.

Mehta said at present the government was making diplomatic efforts and holding consultations with the Bangladesh embassy to first accept the detenues were its citizens following which travel documents had to be processed for them to return to Bangladesh.

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He said the Nationality Status Verification Format of the detained foreigners was sent to the Ministry of External Affairs and they could be deported only when Bangladesh agreed to it.

The bench took note of the submissions and granted time to the Centre and the Assam government to file updated status reports by April 30.

The bench also permitted the Gauhati High Court to continue the hearing of pleas of some detenues who had challenged the decision of the Foreigners Tribunal.

The matter would come up on May 6.

The top court was previously informed by the Centre that the issue of deportation of persons declared foreigners in Assam was under consideration at the “highest executive level”.

On February 4, the apex court rapped the Assam government for keeping persons declared as foreigners in detention centres indefinitely without deporting them, saying if it was waiting for “some muhurat”.

Observing Assam was suppressing facts, the court said once the detainees were identified as foreigners, they ought to be deported immediately.

The top court was not impressed by the state government’s explanation of not sending the nationality verification forms to the Ministry of External Affairs for detainees’ addresses in the foreign country were unknown.

Calling it a “defective” affidavit, the top court on January 22 slammed the Assam government for not stipulating reasons for detaining 270 foreigners at the Matia transit camp.

It directed the Assam State Legal Services Authority to conduct surprise visits at the camp to check on the facility’s hygiene and food quality.

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The bench was hearing a plea concerning the aspect of deportation and facilities at the detention centres in Assam.

While hearing the matter on May 16, 2024, the apex court said the Centre must take immediate steps for deporting foreigners at the detention centre in Matia and asked to prioritise the process for those who had spent more than two years in the camp.

The plea further sought a direction to the Assam government to not detain any person declared a foreigner by the tribunal until it could show proof of a possible deportation in near future.