The first batch of at least 68 people declared as “foreigners” by Assam authorities were moved to the newly built Matia Transit Camp — the large detention camp at Goalpara in Assam.
The shifting of 45 men, 21 women and two children on Friday marked the beginning of a proposed phase-wise transfer of “foreigners”.
The camp is the state’s first centre to exclusively house “illegal foreigners” built per guidelines laid down by the Union government. Assam’s National Register for Citizenship revision has been controversial after many human rights groups condemned the proceedings.
Until now, the detainees have been lodged in six “detention centres” across Assam — all inside jails.
In 2021, in a “bid to humanise” the action, detention centres were renamed as “transit camps for detention purposes”.
The Matia Transit Camp has the capacity to house up to 3,000 inmates.
