Nearly 1,000 foreigners lodged in 6 detention centres in Assam: Nityanand Rai tells Rajya Sabha

New Delhi: Minister of State (MoS) for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai on Wednesday (November 27) said that nearly 1,000 foreigners are lodged in six detention centres in Assam out of which 28 died between 2016 and 2019. Replying to a written question in the Rajya Sabha, Rai said that the Assam government has lodged as many as 988 foreigners in six detention centres in the state.

According Rai, "As on November 22, 2019, 988 foreigners were lodged in six detention centres in Assam. Twenty eight people died in detention centres and hospitals between 2016 and October 13, 2019."

The people in detention centres have been provided with food, clothes, newspapers, sports and medical facilities, he said, adding "Indoor hospital facilities with medical staff are available in every detention centre where health checkups are regularly done. In the cases of emergency, they are sent to a nearby civil hospital." 

"Apart from regular health checkups, medicines are provided by the district Health Services Authorities. Emergency medicines are purchased locally in specific cases, if so required. A sum of Rs.4.74 crores have been spent from Financial Year 2009-10 to 2017-18 by the government of Assam," Rai added.