GUWAHATI: A detention cell in Goalpara received 28 people classified as foreigners by the Foreigners Tribunal in Barpeta, Assam. The group, which included nine ladies and nineteen men, was escorted under strict protection. These people had previously been declared as foreigners by the Barpeta Foreigners Tribunal after a drawn-out court battle. Following the tribunal’s directives, the Barpeta police arranged for the detainees to be transferred to the Matia detention camp, which is situated in the Goalpara area. Before being transferred to the camp, the prisoners were staying in several locations throughout the Barpeta district.
Sushanta Biswa Sarma, the superintendent of police of Barpeta, attested to the tribunal’s directives being carried out. He said that following thorough search operations and legal examination, these people had been determined to be foreign nationals. As per the tribunal’s direction, the police enabled the declared foreigners to be transported to the Goalpara incarceration camp. This marked a noteworthy advancement in the state’s continuous endeavour to detect and apprehend individuals who are considered to be illegal immigrants.
Nine women and nineteen men, all from separate Barpeta district authorities, are among the detained. The women have been identified as follows: Manowara Begum from Nissanor Char (under Alopatisar Police Station), Jabeda Khatun, Sufia Khatun, and Raijan Begum from Kaljhar (under Howly Police Station), Aimona Khatun from Bardalni (under Baghbar Police Station), Sabia Khatun from Barbaradi (under Barpeta Police Station), and Ajva Khatun from Keotkushi (under Barpeta Police Station).
Keramat Miyan from Barbaradi (under the Barpeta Police Station), Abdul Latif from Dabangia (under the Kolgachia Police Station), Kitab Ali from Lasanga, Sirajul Haque, Ibrahim Ali from Mankachar, Hanif Ali from Raipur (under the Barpeta Road Police Station), Munjor Alam, Ainal Mandal from Dumni, Shahadat Ali, Shah Ali Akand, Sonauddin from Gomariguri, Ramezuddin from Agmandiya (under the Baghbar Police Station), Azmat Ali, Based Ali, Salam Ali from Khudra Bamunbari (under the Sarthebari Police Station), Abdul Joynal Mir from Ganakpara (under the Tarabari Police Station), Sukur Mia, Malam Mia from Tarabarichar, and Anowar Hussain from Ghugubari (under the Sorbhog Police Station).
Families and relatives gathered outside the Superintendent of Police’s office on the day of the transfer, a scene filled with deep emotions. As they witnessed their loved ones being driven to the Goalpara detention camp on busses, many of them started crying. Guards controlled the throng to make sure the tribunal’s directives were carried out without a hitch. The Assamese government is conducting this operation as part of a larger attempt to locate and apprehend those who are categorized as foreigners under the Foreigners Act. For a considerable amount of time, Assam has struggled with illegal immigration, particularly from Bangladesh, a neighbor. This has resulted in heightened surveillance and multiple judicial processes under the Foreigners Act.
The Foreigners (Tribunal) Order of 1964 established the Foreigners Tribunals in Assam, which play a pivotal role in adjudicating issues involving suspected illegal immigration. The procedure entails protracted investigations, court cases, and frequently appeals. However, after being classified as foreign nationals, they may be subject to detention and deportation, a procedure that has proven difficult for many of the parties involved on an emotional and legal level. These people were taken to the detention camp at Matia in Goalpara, which is one of numerous Assamese establishments intended to house people who have been classified as foreigners. These camps, which are frequently condemned for their circumstances, act as holding facilities while the government arranges for the detainee’s deportation or other available legal options.
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