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{{short description|India's first and largest detention center for illegal immigrants}}
'''Assam Detention Camp''' are a group of [[Immigration detention|immigration detention centers]] for [[illegal immigrant]]s located in [[Assam]].<ref name="NDTV Assam 12 Sept">{{Cite web|url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/assam-detention-centre-inside-indias-1st-detention-centre-for-illegal-immigrants-after-nrc-school-ho-2099626|title=India's 1st Illegal Immigrant Detention Camp Size Of 7 Football Fields|last=Choudhury|first=Ratnadip|date=12 September 2019|website=NDTV|others=(with inputs from Reuters)|access-date=2019-09-14}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/final-nrc-status-detention-centre-comping-up-in-goalpara-for-those-left-out-of-assam-nrc/story-a23cgA78r8OUYEzbbUfssI.html|title=Final NRC status: 15 buildings, schools, hospital in India’s first detention centre for those not in Assam NRC|date=2019-09-14|website=Hindustan Times|language=en|access-date=2019-09-14}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/assam-nrc-detention-camps-for-illegal-migrants-bangladeshi-1596968-2019-09-08|title=Assam NRC: Workers at India's first detention camp for illegal migrants may end up there|date=8 September 2019|website=India Today|access-date=2019-09-14}}</ref> The first detention centre in the state had come up in 2008 under orders of the [[Gauhati High Court]].<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/nrc-story-how-assam-got-detention-centres-for-foreigners-1631835-2019-12-27|title=NRC and story of how Assam got detention centres for foreigners|last=Dutta|first=Prabhash K.|date=27 December 2019|website=India Today|access-date=2019-12-27}}</ref> Currently six immigration detention centres have been set up in Assam, all inside jails, in various districts of the state.<ref name=":2" />

A total of ten centres are planned to be built in Assam.<ref name="NDTV Assam 12 Sept" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2019/9/17/20861427/india-assam-citizenship-muslim-detention-camps|title=India’s massive, scary new detention camps, explained|last=Samuel|first=Sigal|date=September 17, 2019|website=Vox}}</ref> There are many in-construction or proposed detention centres to be constructed following the exclusion of people from the final [[National Register of Citizens of India]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/938-persons-detained-in-6-detention-centres-in-assam-823-declared-as-foreigners-centre-tells-supreme-court/articleshow/68062067.cms|title=938 persons detained in 6 detention centres in Assam, 823 declared as foreigners: Centre to SC|date=2019-02-19|work=The Economic Times|access-date=2019-09-14|others=PTI}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/assam-seeks-10-more-detention-centres-to-hold-illegal-foreigners/story-fHtbCWAQQRWR0op8XM7QuM.html|title=Assam seeks 10 more detention centres to hold ‘illegal foreigners’|date=2019-06-15|website=Hindustan Times|language=en|access-date=2019-09-14}}</ref> In 2014, the centre had told all the states to set up at least one detention centre for illegal immigrants so as not to mix them up with jail inmates. According to a ruling by the Supreme Court, illegal immigrants can be held for three years at such facilities, after which they are eligible for bail.<ref name=":1" />

The detention centers are commissioned as a place to house erstwhile residents who were excluded in NRC and finally declared illegal immigrants by the foreign tribunals of Assam.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/assam-detention-centre-inside-indias-1st-detention-centre-for-illegal-immigrants-after-nrc-school-ho-2099626|title=India's 1st Illegal Immigrant Detention Camp Size Of 7 Football Fields|last=Choudhury|first=Ratnadip|date=12 September 2019|editor-last=Varma|editor-first=Shylaja|website=NDTV|others=Reuters|access-date=27 December 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/india-building-mass-detention-center-illegal-immigrants-assam-citizenship-2019-9|title=India is building a mass detention center for illegal immigrants, less than a month after it effectively stripped 1.9 million people of their citizenship|last=Perper|first=Rosie|date=12 September 2019|website=Business Insider|access-date=27 December 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/north-east-india/assam-gets-central-nod-for-new-detention-camp-for-declared-foreigners-5274530/|title=Assam gets central nod for new detention camp for ‘declared foreigners’|date=July 25, 2018|website=Indian Express}}</ref> More than 19 lakh people have not been included into the list of citizens created to identify the illegal immigrants in Assam. These people need to prove their citizenship failing which they may be moved to these centres.<ref name="NDTV Assam 12 Sept" />

== History ==
The first detention centre in Assam had come up in 2008 under orders of the [[Gauhati High Court]].<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":5">{{Cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/why-illegal-immigrants-not-identified-deported-tarun-gogoi-questions-centre/articleshow/72995769.cms|title=PM Modi lying about detention camps, sanctioned Rs 46 crore for one in Assam in 2018: Tarun Gogoi|date=27 December 2019|website=The Times of India|access-date=2019-12-28}}</ref> They were first intended as a location for "short-term detention of undocumented immigrants, refugees and people awaiting trial before a Foreigner’s Tribunals".<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|url=https://thewire.in/rights/detention-centres-assam-nrc|title=Detention Centres in Assam Are Synonymous With Endless Captivity|last=Laskar|first=Tahmina|date=7 February 2019|website=The Wire|access-date=27 December 2019}}</ref> But now they are "synonymous with endless captivity."<ref name=":3" /> In 2011 the [[Government of Assam|Assam government]], when Congress was in power both at the centre and in the state, had set up three detention camps{{Efn|Goalpara, Kokrajhar and Silchar|name=|group=}} with hundreds of illegal immigrants.<ref name=":4" /> In 2018, Rs 46 crore was sanctioned for a detention camp by the Narendra Modi government.<ref name=":5" />

==Detainees==
On 27 November 2019, the Government disclosed that 1043 people were housed in six detention centres in Assam.<ref name=":2" /><ref name="28 deaths 27 nov">{{cite news |title=28 deaths in Assam's detention camps, minister tells Rajya Sabha |url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/28-deaths-in-assam-s-detention-camps-minister-tells-rajya-sabha/cid/1722471 |accessdate=22 December 2019 |work=telegraphindia.com |date=27 November 2019 |language=en}}</ref> The existing centres are currently being run from the district jail premises at [[Dibrugarh district|Dibrugarh]], [[Silchar (Lok Sabha constituency)|Silchar]], [[Tezpur]], [[Jorhat district|Jorhat]], [[Kokrajhar district|Kokrajhar]]{{Efn|142 detainees including 14 minors are kept in the Kokrajhar detention center as of November 2019.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://assamtimes.org/node/22251|title=Review committee visits detention center|date=November 19, 2019|website=Assam Times}}</ref>|name=|group=}} and Goalpara in Assam.<ref name="Quint 22 Dec">{{cite news|url=https://www.thequint.com/news/webqoof/pm-modi-ramlila-maidan-rally-fact-check-detention-centres-caa|title=PM Modi’s Claim That India Has No Detention Centres is Misleading|last=Maanvi|date=22 December 2019|work=The Quint|accessdate=22 December 2019|language=en}}</ref> On 17 November, ''[[The New York Times]]'' reported that the government had arrested several hundred people due to the suspicion of them being foreigners. A veteran of the [[Indian Army]] was also among those arrested.<ref name="NYT 17 Aug">{{cite news |last1=Gettleman |first1=Jeffrey |last2=Kumar |first2=Hari |title=India Plans Big Detention Camps for Migrants. Muslims Are Afraid. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/17/world/asia/india-muslims-narendra-modi.html |accessdate=22 December 2019 |work=The New York Times |date=17 August 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.sbs.com.au/news/india-plans-big-detention-camps-for-migrants-and-muslims-are-afraid|title=India plans big detention camps for migrants and Muslims are afraid|last=Gettleman|first=Jeffrey|date=18 August 2019|work=SBS News|agency=NYT|last2=Kumar|first2=Hari|language=en}}</ref>

===Deaths===
[[Trinamul Congress|Trinamul]] MP [[Santunu Sen|Santanu Sen]] had asked the government in Rajya Sabha on what steps the government had taken to stop the deaths in the detention camps alleging that "most of the persons who died, they died out of apprehension". Responding to the question, minister of state for home, [[Nityanand Rai]] stated that so far, until November 2019, 28 people have died due to illness and not due to pressure.<ref name="28 deaths 27 nov" />

== Matia (Goalpara) Detention Centre ==
Goalpara Detention Centre is located in Matia, [[Goalpara district]], [[Assam]].<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/rahul-gandhi-detention-centre-assam-pm-narendra-modi-1631552-2019-12-26|title=Rahul Gandhi says PM Narendra Modi lying about detention centres, tweets video from Assam|date=26 December 2019|website=India Today|access-date=2019-12-27}}</ref> It is India's first (and largest) [[Immigration detention|detention center]] for [[illegal immigrant]]s.<ref name="NDTV Assam 12 Sept"/> The detention center covers approximately 2,88,000 square feet (about the size of seven football grounds). It includes a school, recreational area and hospital.<ref name=":0" /> It is planned to have fifteen stories.<ref name="NDTV Assam 12 Sept" /> The centre has been sanctioned by the Union Home Ministry in June 2018, which is funding the entire project.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/centre-funding-countrys-biggest-foreigner-detention-centre-in-assam/articleshow/71030108.cms|title=Centre funding country's biggest foreigner detention centre in Assam|last=Kalita|first=Prabin|date=8 September 2019|website=The Times of India|language=en|access-date=2019-09-14}}</ref> The detention centre is planned to be ready by December 2019.<ref name="NDTV Assam 12 Sept" /> Two boundary walls painted in red colour encircle the camp. The outer wall will be at 20 feet and inner wall at six feet. Watchtowers are also a part of the structure.<ref name="NDTV Assam 12 Sept" />

== See also ==

* [[Immigration detention]]
* [[List of detention sites in the United States]]
* [[List of Australian immigration detention facilities]]

== Notes ==
{{reflist|group=lower-alpha}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}
{{Immigration to India|state=expanded}}
[[Category:Illegal immigration to India]]
[[Category:Immigration detention centers and prisons]]

Detention centres in Assam - Revision history

CleanupBot at 04:01, 13 August 2021