Assam CM Clears SOP to Evacuate ‘Suspected Foreigners’ in 10 Days

Assam CM clears SOP to evacuate ‘suspected foreigners’ in 10 days

The Assam Cabinet approved a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for implementing the Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Act, 1950, that empowers district commissioners to give “suspected foreigners” ten days to prove their Indian citizenship or face evacuation orders.  Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated that this move would allow the government to bypass the existing procedures for citizenship determination. Speaking to the media, he said,…

Assam’s New SOP Hands Citizenship Decisions to Bureaucrats: Executive overreach or legal necessity?

In a move that could fundamentally alter Assam’s citizenship determination process, the state Cabinet on Tuesday approved a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) under the Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Act, 1950. According to the report of Indian Express, the SOP authorises District Commissioners (DCs) to declare individuals as “illegal immigrants” and issue expulsion orders within 10 days if they fail to establish Indian citizenship. Chief Min…