13 Bangladeshi Nationals Deported; Verification Ongoing for Others: Assam Govt Informs Supreme Court
The Supreme Court has been informed by the Assam government that 13 out of the 63 Bangladeshi nationals detained in the Matia transit camp have been deported to Bangladesh. This information was conveyed to a bench comprising Justice Abhay Oka and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan on Friday, March 21, 2025.
The statement from the Assam government was recorded in the court’s order based on an affidavit submitted in a case concerning the detention and deportation of foreign nationals in the state. The court noted that as per the document provided (Annexure ‘B’), 13 Bangladeshi nationals from the list referred to in the court’s earlier order dated February 4, 2025, have been deported.
On February 4, 2025, the Supreme Court had raised concerns regarding the lack of progress concerning the 63 individuals in the transit camps whose nationality had been confirmed.
The Solicitor General, Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre and the Assam government, informed the bench that the Bangladesh High Commission is involved in the deportation process as it is necessary to first ascertain the nationality of the detainees.
The court was hearing a plea related to the deportation process and the facilities available at the detention centers in Assam. In a previous hearing on May 16, 2024, the apex court had directed the Centre to take immediate steps to deport foreigners from the Matia detention center and to prioritize the process for those who had been in the camp for more than two years.
The plea also sought a direction to the Assam government to refrain from detaining any person declared a foreigner by the tribunal unless proof of potential deportation in the near future could be demonstrated.
According to the affidavit submitted by the state government, verification forms for most of the detainees were sent to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on February 14, with reminders issued on the same day. The verification process for the remaining detainees is currently ongoing in consultation with the Bangladesh High Commission.