Tripura High Court Disposes PIL on Illegal Immigration, Allows Petitioners to Reapproach If No Action Taken

However, the court allowed the petitioners to wait for a few more months and return to the bench if no concrete action is taken.

The Tripura High Court on Thursday disposed of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that sought details on what steps the state government has taken to curb illegal immigration from neighbouring Bangladesh and Myanmar.

However, the court allowed the petitioners to wait for a few more months and return to the bench if no concrete action is taken.The PIL was filed by Dr. Bijoy Debbarma, an ophthalmologist, and John Debbarma, an activist associated with the North East Students’ Organisation (NESO).

The case was heard by a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice A.K. Singh and Justice B. Palit.Senior Supreme Court advocate Manish Goswami, who appeared on behalf of the petitioners, said the concern over illegal immigration is not confined to Tripura but has wider implications across the country.

“The court heard our plea and asked us to wait for some more time to see what action the state takes. We have been granted the liberty to come back to the High Court if no satisfactory steps are taken,” Goswami told reporters after the hearing.The petitioners had earlier submitted a representation to the state government on June 24, referring to a Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) notification issued in May this year. The notification had asked all states to implement a four-stage process—detection, adjudication, detention, and deportation—to deal with illegal immigration.

Highlighting the challenges in implementing the central directive, advocate Goswami said, “Tripura still lacks the infrastructure needed to carry out these steps. For instance, Assam has established Foreigners Tribunals to handle such cases, but Tripura has no such system in place. Detention centres are also missing, which are necessary to hold individuals once declared illegal immigrants.”

The petitioners had requested the High Court to issue directions to the state government to establish Foreigners Tribunals and detention centres, which are essential to effectively act against illegal immigrants as per the MHA guidelines.“The Advocate General acknowledged the seriousness of the issue during the hearing,” Goswami added, expressing hope that the state would act on the matter in the coming months.

Meanwhile, the ruling BJP’s alliance partner Tipra Motha has intensified its campaign against illegal immigration in the state. The party has held multiple rallies across Tripura, demanding strict enforcement of the MHA’s directive.Leaders, MLAs, and Ministers from Tipra Motha, along with representatives of another alliance partner, the Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT), have separately met with Tripura Governor Indra Sena Reddy Nallu. They urged the Governor to ensure strong intervention by both the state and central governments in identifying and deporting illegal immigrants from the state.

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