13 foreign nationals attempting to enter India illegally pushed back: Himanta Biswa Sarma

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday, January 5 said that 13 foreign nationals attempting to enter India illegally were apprehended in the state and subsequently pushed back across the border in accordance with the law.

While confirming the development, the Chief Minister did not disclose further details regarding the origin or ethnicity of the apprehended individuals.

In a post on social media platform X, Sarma said the state government remains firm in its approach towards illegal immigration. “We are committed to ensuring the rights of all illegal immigrants — their right to be in their homeland and their right to be pushed back. Respecting their rights, we pushed back 13 immigrants to the other side of the border,” he stated.

Assam shares a 267.5-kilometre-long international border with Bangladesh, spanning the districts of Sribhumi, Cachar, Dhubri and South Salmara–Mankachar. The state hosts an Integrated Check Post (ICP) at Sutarkandi in Sribhumi, which serves as a key official entry and exit point along the India-Bangladesh border.

The Northeast region has a total of three ICPs along the India-Bangladesh border, located at Sutarkandi (Assam), Dawki (Meghalaya) and Akhaura (Tripura). Additionally, Assam has another ICP at Darranga, situated along the India-Bhutan border.

Earlier, Assam Police had stated that the state force, in coordination with the Border Security Force (BSF), would take all necessary measures to prevent illegal entry by non-Indian nationals from Bangladesh, particularly in the aftermath of political instability in the neighbouring country last year.

However, authorities have clarified that Indian passport holders stranded in Bangladesh would be permitted to return through designated entry points in Assam, ensuring lawful and humanitarian handling of cross-border movement.