Today, On 4th October, The Supreme Court ordered the Assam Legal Services Authority to carry out surprise visits to the Matia Transit Camp, which houses detainees awaiting deportation. The court’s directive aims to ensure that conditions at the camp are in compliance with legal standards and that detainees’ rights are protected.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court, On Friday, instructed the Assam State Legal Services Authority to carry out unannounced inspections at the Matia transit camp for foreigners to assess the facility’s hygiene, food quality, and other conditions.
A bench comprising Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih directed the Secretary of the State Legal Services Authority to appoint suitable officers for these surprise visits, specifically aimed at verifying the cleanliness of the camp, without prior notice to the authorities.
The top court further ordered the legal services authority to submit an inspection report within one month.
The case scheduled for further hearing on November 4.
Previously, the Supreme Court expressed concern over the “sorry state of affairs” at a detention center for declared foreigners in Assam, highlighting issues such as inadequate water supply, poor sanitation, and a lack of proper toilet facilities.
During a July 26 hearing regarding the deportation of declared foreigners and the conditions at the detention centers, the Court noted that the previous report did not address the availability of food and medical services.
The bench then instructed the Secretary of the Assam State Legal Services Authority to conduct another visit to assess the quantity and quality of food provided, the cleanliness of the kitchen, and the existence of medical and recreational facilities.
During a hearing on May 16, the Supreme Court emphasized that the Central Government must take swift action to deport 17 individuals, declared as foreigners, who are currently being held at the Matia detention center.
The Court specifically noted that priority should be given to the deportation of four individuals who have been in detention for over two years.
Additionally, the petition in the case requested the Assam government to refrain from detaining anyone declared a foreigner by a foreigners tribunal unless there is concrete evidence of the possibility of deportation in the near future.