India-Bangladesh border being monitored, no unnatural activity: Assam CM

Guwahati, May 10 (PTI) The India-Bangladesh border in Assam was being actively monitored, and there has been no unnatural activity in the last 10 days, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Friday.

Addressing a press conference, Sarma said patrolling has been intensified along the border.

"We have not seen any activity along the border during the last 10 days, though patrolling has been intensified," he said.

"The central government, however, will be in a better position to explain this as they have a different mechanism to ascertain this," he added.

Sarma said cross-border infiltration is a major issue in the region, and the agencies are detaining illegal immigrants but not bringing them "into the country".

The infiltrators are being "pushed back" from the border itself to their country, he said.

"We will not go through the legal process. We will not bring them back but hand them over to the officials of the neighbouring country. 'Push back' is the new phenomenon and will not allow any infiltrators to enter the country," he said.

Sarma said the Centre has deported illegal immigrants, including Rohingyas, from different parts of the country, including the Matia detention centre in Goalpara.

"Those who have been identified as foreigners have been sent back. There are only 30-40 people left in the Matia detention centre," he added.

The Matia detention centre is one of the largest facilities in the country for holding illegal immigrants. The Supreme Court had directed the Assam government in February to start the deportation process for 63 foreigners lodged there. PTI DG DG SOM