Guwahati, July 7, 2026: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has informed the state legislative assembly that a staggering 1,72,673 illegal immigrants have been detected in the state to date, highlighting the immense challenges in implementing the Assam Accord. However, in a revelation that underscores the complexities of the issue, the Chief Minister noted that only 31,789 of these individuals have been successfully repatriated.
The data was provided by Sarma in a written response to a query raised by AGP legislator Diptimayee Choudhury. While the figures confirm the scale of illegal immigration into the state, the Chief Minister’s written statement did not disclose specific details regarding the country of origin of those detected or deported .
The Gap Between Detection and Repatriation
The discrepancy between the number of detected illegal immigrants and those actually sent back emphasizes the significant hurdles the state government faces. The Assam Accord, signed in 1985, was a landmark agreement aimed at addressing the issue of illegal immigration following a six-year-long agitation. Despite decades of work, the current figures show a considerable gap in enforcement.
The Chief Minister’s data confirms that while authorities have managed to identify over 170,000 individuals residing illegally, the process of physically sending them back remains slow. This bottleneck often involves intricate diplomatic coordination with other nations, as well as the lengthy legal processes of verifying nationality and securing travel documents .
Implementation Hurdles Persist
The Ministry of External Affairs and state authorities continue to work on protocols for the detection, detention, and deportation of foreign nationals. However, the numbers presented to the Assam Legislative Assembly suggest that the rate of deportation lags significantly behind the rate of detection.
The state government has consistently maintained that it is committed to the clauses of the Assam Accord and is working to ensure that all illegal immigrants are identified and dealt with according to the law. The large number of cases still pending further action highlights the logistical and diplomatic complexities that accompany such a massive verification drive in the region.
