Govt gives additional powers to foreigners tribunals

Tribunals responsible for deciding citizenship related matters of individuals have been vested with judicial powers by the government that include ordering detention and granting bail.
The order was issued by the Home Ministry after it was apprised that nearly 2.5 lakh cases were pending before such tribunals, mainly dealing with Bangladeshi immigrants.
Some of the immigrants, who were allegedly involved in anti-national or anti-social activities, had approached local courts prolonging the decision on their citizenship.
In an advisory, the Ministry empowered the tribunals to deliver ex-parte orders and review such directives if the people deemed to be foreigners challenge their findings within a month.

The tribunals have been given powers to release suspects on bail if they are able to produce documents in support of their citizenship case. In the absence of any documents, the suspects would be sent to detention centres as an interim measure.
The Home Ministry has mandated the tribunals to record the reasons for granting adjournments in their order.
The Foreigners (Tribunals) Amendment Order issued recently sought to bring about a uniform procedure for tribunals handling complaints about illegal migrants.