Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has confirmed that the Indian state is no longer prosecuting Rohingya refugees and other undocumented migrants, instead opting to push them back across the border into Bangladesh, according to a report by Scroll.in.
Previously, such individuals were detained, charged under Indian law, and held in detention. But Sarma stated that the state has adopted a new approach: “We have now decided we will not bring them inside the country. We will push them back. Pushing them back is a new phenomenon.”
This policy shift comes shortly after Bangladesh’s Border Guard (BGB) detained 123 undocumented people—including Rohingya and Bengali-speaking individuals—who had been sent across the border by Indian authorities last Wednesday.
BGB Director General Major General Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui said their identities are being verified.
Bangladesh’s National Security Adviser Khalilur Rahman confirmed that Dhaka is seeking direct communication with New Delhi over these recent pushback incidents through the Kurigram and Khagrachhari border areas.
Rahman emphasized that Bangladesh is willing to accept any verified nationals, but only through official and legal channels—not through informal pushbacks.
Sarma, speaking to The Telegraph, said the pushback strategy is effectively reducing infiltration, which he described as a major concern. He noted that earlier 4,000–5,000 people entered India annually, a figure that is now declining due to the new policy.
The Indian Express reported that the move is part of a wider central government effort targeting foreign nationals, with Assam actively contributing.
Sarma also confirmed that some of those recently pushed back had been held in Assam’s Matia detention centre. The centre now houses only those whose legal cases are still pending, he said.
