SC sets aside Assam foreigner declarations

The India — Supreme Court of India ruled on July 13, 2026, that citizenship and foreigner status must be determined through a fair, lawful, and reasonable process. It set aside judgments of the India — Gauhati High Court that had upheld declarations of 27 individuals as foreigners by India — Foreigners Tribunals in India — Assam. The bench, comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, remanded the cases to the respective India — Foreigners Tribunals for fresh adjudication, emphasizing that procedural fairness cannot be overridden by the state's interest in preventing illegal citizenship claims. The court clarified it did not examine the merits of the citizenship claims and that the remand does not confer any benefit on the appellants. The ruling is expected to have wider implications for citizenship adjudication in India — Assam.