Agartala, July 10, 2025: The Division Bench of the Tripura High Court comprising Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice Biswajit Palit on Thursday disposed of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking urgent steps against illegal immigration from neighbouring countries like Bangladesh and Myanmar.

Senior Advocate Manish Goswami, appearing for the petitioners, said the PIL was filed by Dr. Bijay Debbarma, convenor of the Joint Action Committee and John Debbarma, a student activist associated with the Twipra Students Federation (TSF). The petition highlighted the alleged rise in illegal border crossings and sought judicial intervention to compel the state to implement the Centre’s directives.

Citing a Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) notification issued in May 2025, Goswami said, “The Centre has outlined a four-step procedure for handling illegal immigrants — detection, adjudication, detention, and deportation. The PIL urged the court to direct the Tripura government to build the necessary infrastructure, including foreign tribunals and detention centres.”

The petitioners had earlier submitted a formal representation to the state government on June 24, requesting clarity on how it planned to implement the MHA’s instructions.

Goswami noted that Assam remains the only northeastern state with a functioning infrastructure for dealing with illegal immigrants. “We had approached the court for similar arrangements in Tripura, in the interest of national and regional security,” he added.

However, the High Court declined to issue any directions at this stage, stating that the petition was premature and advised the petitioners to wait for the state government’s response. “The court felt the matter had been brought up hastily. We were told to wait for two to three months and, if no concrete steps are taken, we are free to move the court again,” Goswami informed.

He also mentioned that the Advocate General acknowledged the seriousness of the issue and agreed that it constituted a matter of public concern.