21 deported to Bangladesh, says Assam CM
Assam has deported 21 individuals to Bangladesh for allegedly entering Sribhumi district illegally, according to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. This action is part of ongoing efforts to identify and deport illegal migrants, with approximately 400 people having been pushed back recently.
Guwahati: Security forces in Assam have deported 21 people to Bangladesh who allegedly illegally entered the state's Sribhumi district earlier in the week, chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said."Freedom at midnight? Quite literally!" Sarma posted on 'X' on Friday. He said the process of identification and pushback of illegal migrants would continue.
Authorities have, of late, pushed back some 400 people who have tried to enter the state from neighbouring Bangladesh. Of these, around 58 were alone in Sribhumi district.Meanwhile, senior Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the state, Debabrata Saikia, has written to home minister Amit Shah, urging that security along the Assam-Bangladesh border should be strengthened."I am writing to bring to your kind attention the recurring "pushback" operations being undertaken by the Assam Police along the Assam-Bangladesh border since May 2025," he said in his letter, a copy of which ET has reviewed. "The state government has on multiple occasions, acknowledged such operations and deportations of undocumented Bangladeshi nationals, which raises critical questions about the efficacy of our border management framework and the current coordination mechanisms."
He wrote that as per official statements, a new strategy of pushback was announced on May 10 this year. It was followed by operations starting on May 23, in which over 50 individuals were apprehended. The subsequent operations on May 31, June 8, June 27, July 6, and August 3 led to the repatriation of over 300 individuals.He said these operations, despite the deployment of the Border Security Force across the 267.5-km stretch of the Assam-Bangladesh border, suggest that infiltration continues to be a serious challenge.
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