Guwahati: A Guwahati high court verdict on December 9, could result in the expulsion of over 25,000 Bangladeshi intruders living illegally in Assam. The issue concerns thousands of Bangladeshi intruders who entered Assam between 1966 and 1971 but did not register with the Foreigners Regional Registration Officer (FRRO) and after foreigners tribunals deemed them to be illegal foreigners. An appeal by Begum Zan, who requested an extension for FRRO registration, led to the court’s ruling. On June 29, 2020, the Barpeta Foreigners’ Tribunal ruled her as Bangladeshi foreigner; nevertheless, she did not register in time after entering Assam illegally. Citing the binding nature of a recent Supreme Court decision, the court denied her plea.
The case highlights a long-standing problem in Assam, where the status of immigrants from Bangladesh is particularly addressed by Section 6A of the 1955 Citizenship Act, which was enacted in 1985 after the Assam accord was signed. Citizenship is granted under Section 6A(2) to individuals who arrived in Assam prior to January 1, 1966, and Section 6A(3) to those who arrived between January 1, 1966, and March 24, 1971. Following their designation as foreigners, the latter group must register with FRRO within 30 days, with a potential 60-day extension. People who don’t register risk deportation, while those who do get citizenship rights, with the exception of 10 years of the right to vote. They become full citizens after this time.
After the verdict by Guwahati High court nearly 25,000 Bangladeshi origin migrants are at risk of deportation to Bangladesh as a result of the approximately 5,000 intruders and their families who missed the registration deadline. The high court judges emphasized that they were “bound by the decision of the Supreme Court” and stated that they were unable to grant an extension in Zan’s case. The verdict cited a five-member constitution bench’s October 2024 finding upholding the validity of Citizenship Act Section 6A.
The SC bench’s majority of judges ruled that immigrant in this cohort (1966–1971) who failed to register within the allotted period would no longer be eligible for citizenship.
