In a coordinated operation, the Assam Police and Border Security Force (BSF) have deported 19 illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, originating from Nagaon and Karbi Anglong districts. The action was executed amid heightened border vigilance and ongoing anti-India protests in Bangladesh following the killing of activist Sharif Osman Hadi. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma termed the deportation a "full Doomsday moment" for infiltrators, emphasizing the state's resolute policy against unauthorized entry.

Sarma highlighted the operation in a statement on social media, asserting that the message to illegal residents in Assam is unequivocal: prolonged unauthorized stay will inevitably lead to expulsion. He commended the joint efforts of the Assam Police and BSF in swiftly assembling and repatriating the individuals, reinforcing the government's commitment to safeguarding the state's demographic integrity and protecting indigenous rights.

Earlier in December, the District Magistrate of Nagaon district issued expulsion orders under the Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Act, 1950, directing 15 declared foreigners to depart the state within 24 hours via designated routes leading to Bangladesh. These individuals, previously identified as foreigners by Foreigners' Tribunals, were accommodated in transit camps in Goalpara and Kokrajhar, with similar measures applied in other cases across the state.

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The Chief Minister has invoked a Supreme Court observation affirming the validity of the 1950 Act, enabling direct pushback of detected illegal migrants without mandatory tribunal intervention. Sarma has repeatedly stressed the ongoing drive to locate and deport declared foreigners, noting that nearly 30,000 such individuals remain untraceable, while efforts continue to address both recent entrants and those previously identified.

Critics from the Opposition have expressed apprehensions regarding potential misuse of the law to target minority communities. Meanwhile, the 1,885-kilometre Indo-Bangladesh border, particularly in Assam, has witnessed intensified patrolling and surveillance by the BSF since political unrest erupted in Bangladesh, ensuring stringent control over cross-border movements.

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