10,152 Indians jailed in 86 countries: MEA tells parliamentary committee

Apr 2, 2025 - 11:30

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A total of 10,152 Indian nationals are currently incarcerated abroad in 86 countries, the Ministry of External Affairs told the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs on Tuesday.

In 12 of these countries, over 100 Indians are in jail, said the ministry in a report on the conditions and welfare of non-resident Indians, persons of Indian Origin, the Overseas Citizenship of India cardholders and migrant workers. The report also discussed the status of the Emigration Bill.

Tabled in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, the report showed that the highest number (2,633 of Indians, including undertrials, were incarcerated in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (2,518).

Other Gulf countries, including Bahrain (181), Kuwait (387) and Qatar (611) also had a significant number of Indians in jails.

In addition, 1,317 Indians were imprisoned in Nepal and 338 in Malaysia. At least 173 Indians were jailed in China, the data stated.

The ministry said that nine of these 12 countries were covered under existing agreements on Transfer of Sentenced Persons, which allows a person convicted of a crime to be transferred to his or her home country to serve their prison sentence.

However, only eight prisoners could be brought back to serve their sentences in India between 2023 and March 2025. Of these,...