India: 28 Bengali Muslims Detained in Assam as Foreigners

In a distressing incident on September 2, 28 Bengali Muslims from India’s Barpeta district, Assam, were detained and sent to a transit camp after being declared foreigners by Foreigner Tribunals, Muslim Mirror reported.

The emotional scene unfolded as family members wept while their loved ones were taken away by police. The detainees, one from each of the 28 families, were lured to local police stations under the pretense of signing documents.

The Assam Home Department revealed that there are currently 119,570 D-voters in the state, with 54,411 classified as foreigners. Since 2017, 16 individuals have been deported to Bangladesh. The Foreigner Tribunals, established under the Foreigners Act of 1946, aim to tackle illegal migration amid ongoing concerns about preserving the indigenous Assamese identity and culture. The situation has intensified tensions in the region, drawing public attention and concern.