8 September 2019
Lawfulness of Detention of Declared Foreigners in Assam under International Law [ PDF ]
Contents
Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 3
1.1. Context …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 3
1.2. Purpose …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 4
Applicable Law ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 6
2.1. Domestic Law ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 6
2.2. International Law …………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 6
Inappropriateness of Administrative Detention ………………………………………………………………….. 7
3.1. Domestically lawful detention …………………………………………………………………………………… 7
3.2. Preventive detention for immigrants as a mandatory rule …………………………………………….. 8
3.3. Proportionality of detention considering low likelihood of deportations ………………………… 9
3.4. Location of Detention Centres …………………………………………………………………………………. 10
3.5. Conclusion …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 10
Category III: Fair Trial Issues ……………………………………………………………………………………………. 11
4.1. Overview of Fair Trial Laws………………………………………………………………………………………. 11
4.2. Foreigners Tribunals ……………………………………………………………………………………………….. 12
4.3. Legality and Independence ……………………………………………………………………………………… 13
4.4. No Compensation for Miscarriages of Justice …………………………………………………………….. 16
4.5. Reversed Burden of Proof ……………………………………………………………………………………….. 17
4.6. Lack of Predictability ………………………………………………………………………………………………. 17
4.7. Prevalence of Ex-parte Proceedings ………………………………………………………………………….. 18
4.8. Extraordinary Laws …………………………………………………………………………………………………. 20
4.9. Conclusion …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 21
Category IV: Review of Lawfulness of Detention ……………………………………………………………….. 21
5.1. Review of Detention ……………………………………………………………………………………………….. 21
5.2. Conditional Release ………………………………………………………………………………………………… 23
5.3. Appeals against Decision of Foreigners Tribunal ………………………………………………………… 23
5.4. Interventions by the Supreme Court …………………………………………………………………………. 24
5.5. End of a Flawed Process – And the Beginning of Another ……………………………………………. 25
5.6. Conclusion …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 25
6. Category V: Discrimination ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 25
7. Recommendations and Best Practices ……………………………………………………………………………… 26
7.1. Preventing Statelessness …………………………………………………………………………………………. 26
7.2. Best Practice #1: Canada …………………………………………………………………………………………. 28
7.3. Best Practice #2: Kyrgyzstan …………………………………………………………………………………….. 34
7.4. Best Practice #3: Germany ………………………………………………………………………………………. 38
7.5 Best Practice #4: India …………………………………………………………………………………………….. 42
8. Conclusion ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 46