22 children held in Assam's detention camps, says CM Himanta
Assam's detention centres for foreigners are currently lodging 22 children, 20 of them aged below 14 years, Chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma informed on Monday.
In response to a question asked by Congress MLA Sherman Ali Ahmed, Sarma, who also holds the Home portfolio said, "Nine convicted women foreigners along with 22 children are presently lodged in three detention centres viz Kokrajhar, Silchar and Tezpur. Of the 22 children, two are above 14 years and 20 below 14 years."
There are six detention camps for foreigners in Assam with 181 inmates, 61 of whom are declared foreign nationals and the remaining 121 convicted foreign nationals whose period of the sentence was over, were awaiting deportation, the chief minister informed, adding that the women are in the latter category.
Replying to another query, Sarma said 2,551 people, declared non-citizens by various Foreigners' Tribunals were sent to the detention centres from December 29, 2009, to June 30, 2021.
He informed that Krishna Biswas of Goalpara district was the first detention camp inmate, who was sent to Goalpara detention centre on December 23, 2009.
While 29 declared foreigners have died in the detention camps since 2009, many were granted bail over the years, the chief minister said.
According to a Supreme Court order on May 10, 2019, seeking the release of declared foreigners after three years in detention, 273 were released, Sarma said.
He further added that 481 others were released after another Supreme Court order on April 13, 2020, reducing the detention period to two years.
(With inputs from agencies)
(Edited by Aparmita Das)
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