Detention Centres for ‘foreigners’ in Assam to be now called ‘Transit Camp’

Aug. 19: The “detention centres” in Assam have been renamed “transit camps”. This was stated in a notification, signed by Niraj Verma, the principal secretary of Assam’s home and political department, on August 17. There are six Detention Centres in Assam which are located inside district jails in Goalpara, Kokrajhar, Tezpur, Jorhat, Dibrugarh and Silchar. The Foreigners’ Tribunals decides whether a person is a foreigner living illegally in Assam. After their conviction for illegal stay in India, they are sent to one of the Detention Centres.

“In partial notification of earlier notification No.PLB.149/2008/88 dated 17-06-2009 and subsequent notification issued vide No.PLB.149/ 2008/50 dated 01-12-2009, No.PLB.149/ 2008/54 dated 05-04-2010, PLB.No.121/ 2015/44 dated 24-09-201 and No.PLB.121/2015/Vol-I/ 338 dated 01-11-2018, nomenclature of Detention Centre is changed to Transit Camp for detention purpose,” the order stated.