90% crimes in Goa committed by migrants, says chief minister

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Tuesday said that more than 90% of the crimes in the state were committed by migrants, The Indian Express reported.

Replying to questions raised by Opposition MLAs in the Assembly about the law and order, Sawant said that a large number of migrants come to Goa for work and become involved in cases of robbery, rape and dacoity.

The Bharatiya Janata Party leader had made similar remarks in 2023 and alleged that migrant workers from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh were responsible for 90% of the crimes in Goa. He later said that his words were “twisted by some political leaders”.

Speaking about law and order in the state, Sawant said that the verification of tenants and labourers was important to curb crime and improve security, The Indian Express reported. “First and among the foremost things that the police department has done is verification of labourers and tenants,” he added.

He further said that no one should rent out their homes to unknown persons, without having their backgrounds verified by the police.

Opposition MLA Viresh Borkar said that that number of rape cases in Goa had increased by 43% to 103 in 2025 from 72 in 2021, The Times of India reported.

The chief minister claimed that the data recorded in 2023 may “seem” high but most of the...

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