New Delhi: About 11,500 Indians have been imprisoned in the UAE and Saudi Arabia over the past three years for various offences, including illegally crossing the borders of these countries, the Indian government said on Thursday.
According to a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Union Minister of State for Overseas Indian Affairs, V K Singh, said that 4,615 Indians are in prisons in Saudi Arabia while 6,653 Indians are in UAE jails.
Oman and Qatar have 454 and 187 Indians respectively. Of these, 99 and 88 people were released from Oman and Qatar respectively after the efforts taken by Indians missions there.
The United Kingdom has nearly 1,467 Indians in its jails while Singapore and Malaysia have over 450 and 294 countrymen respectively lodged its prisons. The UK has released 90 Indian prisoners.
The data covers the period of 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 (until July).
In India’s neighbouring countries, about 996 countrymen are in Nepalese jails, 275 in Bhutan and 126 in Myanmar for various offences over the past three years.
China and the Maldives have 25 and 39 Indians in their jails respectively.
As per the information provided by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) with regard to Pakistan, the number of Indians in the neighbouring country’s jails as of June was 407.
“[A] further 185 fishermen and six others prisoners were released in 2014, and 285 fishermen and three other prisoners were released in 2015. As per unconfirmed estimates there are 74 missing prisoners of war still in Pakistani jails whose presence is not confirmed,” according to the reply.
