Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Guwahati: Assam has identified 172,673 illegal foreigners as of May 31, 2026. The government disclosed these figures in the Legislative Assembly on July 22, responding to an inquiry from MLA Akhil Gogoi. Records from the Home and Political Department show the group includes 111,414 Muslims, 61,189 Hindus, and 70 people from Christian or other communities. Officials pulled this data from the National Register of Citizens supplementary list and records held by the Registrar General of India.
Total identified individuals reached 198,888 by that same date. Authorities have shared 172,673 names with the Election Department to purge electoral rolls. The state has already deported 9,678 declared foreigners historically. Since 2025, officials have sent 1,572 people back to Bangladesh and expelled another 117 under the Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Act of 1950.
Deportations follow Ministry of Home Affairs guidelines issued on May 2, 2025. Border security remains a priority. Assam shares 263.059 kilometers of international border with Bangladesh. Fencing covers 228.531 kilometers of that line. Riverine terrain makes the remaining stretch difficult to secure. The Border Security Force uses drones, thermal imagers, and the Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System to watch the gaps.
Separately, Cabinet Minister Atul Bora confirmed that the definition of an Assamese person remains under review. The government is evaluating the Justice Biplab Kumar Sharma Committee report regarding Clause 6 of the Assam Accord. "It is a very important and sensitive matter. Discussions are on with various nationalist organisations and other stakeholders," Bora said. Consultations continue before the state reaches a final decision on indigenous protections.
Comments