Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday said that 13 foreign nationals attempting to enter India illegally were apprehended in the state and subsequently pushed back across the border. Reiterating the state government’s uncompromising stance against illegal immigration, Sarma asserted that Assam would continue to act decisively to safeguard its borders.
In a post on X, the Chief Minister stated, “We are committed to ensuring the rights of illegal immigrants — their right to remain in their homeland and their right to be pushed back. Respecting these rights, we pushed back 13 immigrants to the other side of the border.” However, he did not disclose the origin or ethnicity of the apprehended individuals.
Border districts under heightened vigilance
Several districts of Assam—Sribhumi, Cachar, Dhubri and South Salmara-Mankachar—share a 267.5-km-long international border with Bangladesh, making the region particularly sensitive from a security standpoint. An Integrated Check Post (ICP) is operational at Sutarkandi in Sribhumi district. The Northeast has a total of three ICPs along the India-Bangladesh border, the other two being at Dawki in Meghalaya and Akhaura in Tripura.
Additionally, Assam houses another ICP at Darranga along the India-Bhutan border, further underscoring the state’s strategic importance in border management.
Earlier, Assam Police had stated that, in coordination with the Border Security Force (BSF), security measures would be intensified to prevent illegal infiltration, especially in the aftermath of political unrest in Bangladesh last year. Authorities have maintained that strict surveillance and coordinated action will continue to curb unauthorised cross-border movement.