Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunals) Act 1983
Also called: IMDT Act · Topic: Citizenship: Idea and Indian Law · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
The Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunals) Act 1983, or IMDT Act, was a law that applied only to Assam. It set up tribunals to decide whether a person was an illegal migrant. Under this Act, the person who made the complaint had to prove that the accused person was a foreigner. In the rest of India, the person suspected must prove they are a citizen. This made the Act very different from the law elsewhere.
Example
In the Sarbananda Sonowal case (2005), the Supreme Court struck down the IMDT Act. The Court called large-scale illegal migration into Assam "external aggression". It said Art. 355 places a duty on the Union to act against it.
Don't confuse with
- Foreigners Tribunals: these work under the Foreigners (Tribunals) Order 1964 and still exist. Before them, the suspected person must prove their citizenship.
Related concepts
- Illegal migrant
- Immigration and Foreigners Act 2025
- Sarbananda Sonowal case
- Section 6A of the Citizenship Act
- Doubtful voter
- Foreigners Tribunals