Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Guwahati: The Assam government reported 1,72,673 identified illegal foreigners as of May 31, 2026. This data includes 61,189 Hindus, 1,11,414 Muslims, and 70 people from Christian or other backgrounds. Officials pulled these figures from the National Register of Citizens supplementary list and updated records from the Registrar General of India. Access to this data remains restricted under an Information Security Management System.
Out of 1,98,888 total people flagged, 1,72,673 names sit in Annexure-A. The government scrubs these names from electoral rolls through standard legal steps. Since 2025, authorities pushed back 1,572 individuals to Bangladesh. Another 117 people faced formal expulsion. Government officials claim the deportation process follows Ministry of Home Affairs guidelines issued May 2, 2025, while expulsions rely on the Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Act, 1950.
Border security remains a complex headache. Assam shares a 267.5-km border with Bangladesh, though figures on the exact length vary by department reports. Officials confirmed 228.541 km of that line now features barbed wire fencing. Roughly 39 km remains wide open. Dhubri and South Salmara-Mankachar districts contain 34.609 km of unfenced riverine terrain. A final 4.35 km stretch along the Kushiyara River in Sribhumi district stays open after Border Guard Bangladesh raised objections.
Minister Atul Bora said, "The responsibility for fencing and sealing the remaining portions of the international border rests with the Central Government under the Ministry of Home Affairs."
The Border Security Force now uses drones, thermal imagers, and boat patrols to monitor these gaps. They also employ the Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System. Meanwhile, a high-level committee finished its report on Clause 6 of the Assam Accord. The Union Government currently reviews those recommendations.
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