STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: Following the nod of Home and Political Department, Government of Assam, 86 illegal foreigners have been conditionally released till date from various detention camps in Assam. Meanwhile, sources told The Sentinel that approval for the release of 44 more detained illegal foreigners is at the last stage of consideration of the authorities concerned. On the other hand, five other Bangladeshis convicted on various charges were deported recently. The Bangladesh government has taken charge of their custody.
With reference to the illegal foreigners who have been detained for more than three years, the Home and Political Department found that of the approximately 1,100 detainees in the detention camps, 335 had already completed the set time period.
The apex Court had directed the Assam government and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to commence the process for release of all illegal foreigners detained in the detention camps for more than three years provided these persons fulfill the predetermined conditions.
Following the Supreme Court’s directive, the Home and Political (B) Department of the Government of Assam vide a notification dated July 29, 2019, added some provisions for the conditional release of the declared foreigners from the Detention Centres as sub-para (iii) in partial notification of the earlier notification dated June 17, 2019.
According to this “sub-para”, the Home and Political Department of the State Government may release those declared foreigners who have completed more than three years in Detention Centres on the following conditions:
(a) Execution of bond with two sureties of Rs 1 lakh only each of Indian citizens.
(b) He or she specifies verifiable address of stay after release.
(c) Biometric imprints of his/her iris (if possible) and all ten fingerprints and photos shall be captured and stored in a secured database before release from the Detention Centres. He or she shall report once every week to the Police Station specified by the Home and Political Department.
(d) He or she shall notify any change of his or her address to the specified Police Station on the same day.
(e) A quarterly report will have to be submitted by the Superintendant of Police (Border) to the Home and Political Department regarding appearance of such released declared foreigners to the Police Station concerned. In case of violation of the condition, the ‘Declared Foreign National’ will be apprehended and again detained in the Detention Centre.
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