Illegal migrants in Assam

Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Saturday said there are illegal migrants from Bangladesh in the state and that influx from across the border is still on, though in lesser numbers. The chief minister, however, did not say how many illegal migrants are here in the state.
For Gogoi, the biggest problem, however, is deporting persons declared as "illegal migrants" to Bangladesh as the neighboring country continues not to accept their citizens deported from India.
Even as the debate over illegal migrants resumed over the recent ethnic clash in lower Assam where Bodos clashed with Bengali-speaking Muslims, Gogoi on Saturday gave records of illegal migrants declared by the courts. He said between 1996 and 2001, the then IM (DT) tribunals had declared 7,444 persons as "illegal migrants". Between 2002 and 2011, the courts declared 11,127 persons as "illegal migrants."
"Illegal migrants are here. The influx is also on and that is why I have been trying my level best to plug the holes in the border with Bangladesh. I have been seeking more border outposts and floodlights. We have managed to bring down influx, but we need to be more foolproof," said the chief minister.
At present, there are more than 150 declared illegal migrants at detention camps in Goalpara, Kokrajhar and Silchar.
According to latest updated records with the state government, between 1985 and 2010, a total of 34,622 persons have vanished after tribunals declared them as illegal migrants.
Over 20 people were arrested in connection with the violence near Azad Maidan here in which two youths were killed and at least 55 injured, police yesterday said.
The situation is normal and heavy police deployment has been put in place, they said.
During the violence, the mob had snatched two self- loading rifles and a pistol from women police personnel, they added.
Including 45 policemen were injured in the mayhem that erupted after a protest rally turned violent, with the mob damaging buses, hurling stones and setting vehicles afire.