Tue Feb 04 07:17:24 UTC 2025: ## Supreme Court Raps Assam Government Over Detention of “Foreigners”
**New Delhi, February 4, 2025** – The Supreme Court of India sharply criticized the Assam government on Tuesday for indefinitely detaining individuals declared as foreigners, instead of deporting them. A bench comprising Justices Abhay S. Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan questioned the state’s rationale for delaying deportations, stating that once a person is declared a foreigner, immediate deportation is the logical next step.
The court’s rebuke came during a hearing on a plea concerning the deportation of individuals declared foreigners and the conditions in Assam’s detention centers. The justices questioned the Assam government’s claim that they couldn’t deport individuals due to unknown addresses, stating, “You deport to their foreign country. Are you waiting for some muhurat [auspicious time]? Once you declare a person a foreigner, then you have to take the next logical step. You cannot detain them till eternity. Article 21 of the Constitution is there.”
The Supreme Court ordered the Assam government to initiate the deportation of 63 individuals currently held in detention centers within two weeks and submit a compliance affidavit. The ruling highlights concerns about the prolonged detention of individuals declared foreigners and the adequacy of facilities at the detention centers.
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