NEW DELHI: As many as 10,152 Indians are currently incarcerated abroad across 86 countries. The sixth report of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs, headed by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, released in parliament on Tuesday said most of them are in the jails of 12 countries, including China, Kuwait, Nepal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.
The highest number of Indian nationals, including undertrials, are in jails in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, with both countries holding over 2,000 prisoners. Other Gulf nations, such as Bahrain, Kuwait, and Qatar, which host large numbers of Indian blue-collar workers, also have significant Indian populations in their prisons. Meanwhile, Nepal has 1,317 Indians in jail, while Malaysia holds 338. The report also mentions that 173 Indians are currently imprisoned in China.
The report, which discusses the “Indian Diaspora Overseas, including NRIs, PIOs, OCIs, and Migrant Workers,” highlights that nine of these 12 countries are already covered under existing agreements on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons, allowing convicted individuals to serve their sentences in their home country.
In response to queries from the committee regarding efforts to secure the release of these prisoners, the Ministry of External Affairs stated that Indian missions and posts regularly engage with local authorities abroad to address the issue of prisoner release and repatriation.