Over 10,000 Indians Detained Abroad, Report Reveals
NEW DELHI: A recent report has unveiled that around 10,152 Indians are currently in prisons across 86 different countries. This information comes from the sixth report released by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs, led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, and was presented in parliament on Tuesday.
The majority of these Indian prisoners are located in just 12 countries, including China, Kuwait, Nepal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Notably, Saudi Arabia and the UAE hold the largest number, each housing over 2,000 Indian nationals, which includes both convicted individuals and those awaiting trial. Other Gulf nations such as Bahrain, Kuwait, and Qatar, where many Indian blue-collar workers reside, also have significant numbers of Indians in their correctional facilities. Meanwhile, Nepal has a reported 1,317 Indians in custody, while Malaysia holds 338.
The report focuses on the Indian Diaspora, which includes Non-Resident Indians (NRIs), Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs), Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs), and migrant workers. It notes that nine of the twelve highlighted countries have existing agreements that facilitate the transfer of sentenced persons, permitting convicted Indians to serve their sentences back home.
In reply to questions from the committee about the initiatives aimed at securing the release of these detainees, the Ministry of External Affairs stated that Indian embassies and missions consistently communicate with local authorities to help resolve issues regarding prisoner release and repatriation.
