MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of Madras High Court on Monday directed the regional special deputy collector in-charge of the Foreigners Special Camp at Kottapattu in Tiruchy to file a report on the facilities currently available in the camp and the allotment of budget for improving the camp’s infrastructure.
A bench of justices CV Karthikeyan and R Sakthivel gave the direction on a PIL filed by advocate K R Raja of Madurai, seeking a series of directions including time-bound deportation of detainees, providing basic amenities, a qualified interpreter and a comprehensive standard operating procedure for all such camps in the state, among others.
Raja stated in his petition that the camp presently houses around 125 foreign nationals. They were mostly detained for administrative immigration infractions rather than for offences involving moral turpitude or grave criminality, Raja alleged.
A substantial number of them have already completed their sentences, have been granted bail, or have been acquitted by the competent courts and yet continue to languish in the camp, he added.
The camp also lacked an interpreter or any English-speaking staff. It was also not being maintained properly, with overgrown bushes and overflowing septic tanks. Potable drinking water was also not being supplied in sufficient amounts, and the daily subsistence allowance of `175 does not cover their basic expenses, Raja claimed.
He requested the court to direct the authorities to address the above issues and also frame comprehensive SOPs and Rules under the Foreigners Act, 1946, governing admission, detention, deportation, healthcare, sanitation, legal aid, mental health, grievance redressal, etc of the detainees through periodic inspections at all Foreigners Special Camps functioning in Tamil Nadu. The case was adjourned to August 19.