Context:

=> A Foreigners’ Tribunal in Assam’s Cachar district has served a notice to a deceased person, asking him to appear before it by March 30 as he had failed to produce valid documents to prove his Indian citizenship.

What is a Foreigners tribunal?

=> Foreigners’ Tribunals are quasi-judicial bodies established as per the Foreigners’ Tribunal Order, 1964 and the Foreigners’ Act, 1946.

=> Composition: Advocates not below the age of 35 years of age with at least 7 years of practice (or) Retired Judicial Officers from the Assam Judicial Service (or) Retired IAS of ACS Officers (not below the rank of Secretary/Addl. Secretary) having experience in quasi-judicial works.

Who can set up these tribunals?

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has amended the Foreigners (Tribunals) Order, 1964, and has empowered district magistrates in all States and Union Territories to set up tribunals (quasi-judicial bodies) to decide whether a person staying illegally in India is a foreigner or not.

• Earlier, the powers to constitute tribunals were vested only with the Centre.

Who can approach?

=> The amended order (Foreigners (Tribunal) Order, 2019) also empowers individuals to approach the Tribunals.

=> Earlier, only the State administration could move the Tribunal against a suspect.

Who is a declared foreigner?

A declared foreigner, or DF, is a person marked by Foreigners’ Tribunal (FT) for allegedly failing to prove their citizenship after the State police’s Border wing marks him or her as an illegal immigrant.