- NET Web Desk
The Union Minister of State (MoS) for Home Affairs – Nityanand Rai told the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday that as of December 31, over 1.43 lakh people had been declared “foreigners” by Assam’s foreigners tribunals.
Rai further asserted that out of 1,43,466 people, at least 329 of those labelled as “foreigners” had been deported to their home countries as of February 1.
Responding to a question by Communist Party of India’s (CPI) Rajya Sabha member – Binoy Viswam, Rai said that there were 1,23,829 pending cases across 100 foreigners tribunals in Assam.
Besides, the CPI member also asked the home ministry to reveal details of the number of detention centres constructed across the country and number of people housed in them.
Rai while answering the question mentioned that the centre don’t have any such data filed into its records.
Foreigners tribunals are quasi judicial bodies which decide on matters of disputed nationality.
According to reports, under the provisions of Foreigners’ Act, 1946 and Foreigners Tribunal Order, 1964, only Foreigner Tribunals have the right to declare a person as a foreigner. Every individual, whose name does not figure in the final National Register of Citizens (NRC) can represent his/her case before Foreigners Tribunals (FT).
