Status: Key new steps taken to curb illegal immigration in the northeast states include implementing the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam, amending the Foreigners (Tribunal) Order 1964, and scrapping the free movement regime with Myanmar in addition to fencing the Indo-Myanmar border. Under the Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System (CIBMS), the government is deploying smart fencing — sensors, networks, intelligence, and unified command and control solutions — in border areas where physical surveillance is not feasible due to rivers or inhospitable terrains. The Smart fencing offers round-the-clock surveillance of borders in all weather conditions. After finishing the pilot project, phase-II and Phase-III of CIBMS are under implementation to cover 71 patches along 1955 km of Indo-Pakistan and Indo-Bangladesh borders. The project, however, is far from being finished. i ii iii