Assam pushes back 330 illegal immigrants in one month, 88 from Cachar alone

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced that the state has intensified its crackdown on illegal infiltrators, resulting in the pushback of 330 undocumented immigrants — including Bangladeshis and Rohingyas — in the past month alone.

Speaking about operations in Cachar district, the CM said, “In just one month, we have identified and pushed back 88 illegal immigrants from Cachar alone — 59 Bangladeshis and 29 Rohingyas.” The individuals were tracked through intelligence-based special operations, he added.

The crackdown is part of a wider campaign launched by the Assam Police to identify and deport illegal immigrants living without valid documents. In the last four weeks, nearly 100 undocumented Bangladeshis have been detained in Katigorah, a sensitive area in Cachar district bordering Bangladesh.

On Sunday night, police detained 15 more suspected Bangladeshi nationals, including women and children. Ten of them were picked up from Hilara in Katigorah, while five were intercepted by local residents in Bishambarpur and handed over to the police. All detainees have been shifted to a temporary detention centre in Silchar.

Also Read: "Addicted to reclaiming Assam's land": Himanta Biswa Sarma warns of fresh evictions

A police officer said that many of the detainees originated from Khulna, Bangladesh, and had been living in Surat, Gujarat, for years. Facing increased pressure amid a crackdown on undocumented migrants in Gujarat, they attempted to cross back into Bangladesh through Assam.

"They told us they were trying to return home, fearing arrest in Gujarat. The Village Defence Party (VDP) and local residents helped us intercept them," the officer said.

Just last week, another group of nine Bangladeshis — also from Gujarat — were stopped in Hilara while travelling in autorickshaws.

Earlier this month, CM Sarma confirmed that 35 Bangladeshis had already been caught and deported from Katigorah as part of this ongoing operation.

The Assam government has reaffirmed its commitment to zero tolerance towards illegal infiltration, with CM Sarma stressing, “More deportations are expected soon as our operations continue.”