The Gauhati High Court has noted that 1,16,946 declared foreign nationals in Assam are yet to be apprehended and expelled
GUWAHATI — The Gauhati High Court has noted that 1,16,946 declared foreign nationals in Assam are yet to be apprehended and expelled, describing the situation as a "very grim picture" when it comes to the expulsion of foreigners in the state.
The observation was made by the Division Bench comprising Justices Kalyan Rai Surana and Mridul Kumar Kalita while dismissing a writ petition related to the expulsion of a declared foreigner on November 10.
In its order, the Bench noted that the Assam government, in its affidavit-in-opposition, mentioned that 1,16,946 declared foreign nationals were yet to be apprehended and expelled as of June 30 this year.
"It shows a very grim picture when it comes to the expulsion of foreigners and declared foreign nationals in the State of Assam," it added.
The petitioner, Hamida Begum of Charaideo district, was declared an illegal foreigner in December 2018 by the Foreigners Tribunal. She had challenged the decision in Gauhati High Court, which dismissed her petition in October 2020.
Then she had approached the Supreme Court, which too rejected her plea in November 2025. Her review petition was also dismissed by the apex court in March 2026.
Begum was lodged at the transit camp, earlier known as the detention camp, in Goalpara. She was released on bail as per the law laid down by the Supreme Court on being detained for three years in a row upon declaration of being a foreign national.
"It is submitted that after the petitioner was released on bail, she was regularly appearing before the concerned police station and it is in the course of such appearance before the police station, that the petitioner was again taken into custody," the HC noted.
Accordingly, the counsel prayed for releasing the petitioner from detention by granting her bail.
The order mentioned that the petitioner was a declared foreign national and had exhausted all available legal remedies after unsuccessfully challenging the Foreigners Tribunal's opinion before the HC and the SC.
"Therefore, the state is now contemplating expulsion of the petitioner... the state has taken all necessary steps for the expulsion of the petitioner, and therefore, the present writ petition is not maintainable, nor is the petitioner entitled to bail," it added.