Northeast states including Tripura, Nagaland, Meghalaya, and Manipur are on high alert to prevent the influx of illegal immigrants following Assam’s intensified eviction drive across multiple districts. Governments are deploying surveillance, forming monitoring committees, and strengthening border vigilance to prevent unauthorized entry and protect forest and government lands.
Following the large-scale eviction drive undertaken by the Assam government in several districts, multiple Northeast states have stepped up vigilance along their inter-state borders to prevent the possible influx of displaced individuals. State governments in Tripura, Nagaland, Meghalaya, and Manipur have issued urgent directives to security and administrative officials to monitor movement across the borders with Assam, fearing that many of those evicted could attempt to take shelter in neighbouring states.
The Assam government recently intensified its eviction campaign in districts such as Dhubri, Goalpara, Lakhimpur, and Kamrup (Metro), and announced upcoming eviction operations in Golaghat and other southern districts. The operation primarily targets individuals accused of encroaching on government and forest lands.
Thousands of residents have been displaced during these operations, prompting neighbouring states to strengthen border control measures. Assam shares a vast 2,616.1 km inter-state border with six northeastern states: Nagaland (512.1 km), Arunachal Pradesh (804.1 km), Manipur (204.1 km), Mizoram (164.6 km), Tripura (46.3 km), and Meghalaya (884.9 km). It also shares a 127 km boundary with West Bengal.
In Tripura, Tipra Motha Party (TMP) chief Pradyot Bikram Manikya Debbarma has expressed concern over the possible infiltration of illegal immigrants into the tribal areas. He urged the Chief Executive Member of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) to urgently form a multi-party monitoring committee to identify and prevent the entry of illegal immigrants into the ADC-administered regions.
“This is not about politics. We must act as protectors of our people’s rights. Many people evicted from Assam may try to settle in our land illegally. We must take this seriously,” Debbarma said in a statement posted on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
The TTAADC, governed by TMP, covers about two-thirds of Tripura’s 10,491 sq. km area and is home to more than 12 lakh people, with nearly 84 percent belonging to tribal communities.
Nagaland has also taken strong measures to curb illegal immigration. On Thursday, Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio chaired a review meeting with top state officials, including Chief Secretary J. Alam and Director General of Police (DGP) Rupin Sharma, and directed them to maintain round-the-clock surveillance along the Assam-Nagaland border.
The Chief Minister instructed the state machinery to be proactive in preventing any influx and to ensure that any unauthorized entrants are swiftly deported. Following his directive, Nagaland Deputy Chief Minister Y. Patton, who also holds the Home and Border Affairs portfolio, visited the sensitive Ralan area in Wokha and Niuland districts to assess the situation firsthand.
He lauded the coordinated efforts of district administrations, police, village heads, youth bodies, and volunteers who have been instrumental in monitoring the borders. According to reports, over 200 vehicles carrying evicted individuals from Assam tried to enter Niuland district. These attempts were blocked, and the people involved were deported by the local administration in coordination with police and CRPF forces.
In Manipur and Meghalaya, similar alerts have been issued to respective Deputy Commissioners and Superintendents of Police to remain vigilant and take all preventive measures necessary to prevent unauthorized entry of displaced persons into their jurisdictions.
A senior Meghalaya official confirmed that surveillance and ground intelligence are being intensified, especially in border districts like West Khasi Hills and Ri-Bhoi.
Meanwhile, tensions continue to rise in Assam itself, where the eviction operations have occasionally turned violent. On July 17, a clash broke out during the eviction drive in Paikan Reserve Forest under the Krishnai Range in Goalpara district, resulting in the death of one individual and serious injuries to another.
Despite criticism from some quarters, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma remains resolute in continuing the eviction drive. He reiterated his government’s commitment to reclaiming illegally encroached lands and restoring forest areas. “No illegal encroachment will be tolerated. We are committed to safeguarding Assam’s forest and government land,” Sarma stated during a recent press briefing.
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As the situation unfolds, the Northeast region is witnessing a rare moment of coordinated vigilance and administrative action across state lines, emphasizing the delicate balance between enforcing land rights and managing humanitarian concerns arising from mass displacement.
