Lok Sabha Question No. 2823 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-12-16
Subject: Prisoner Exchange Programme
Ministry: OVERSEAS INDIAN AFFAIRS
Asked by: K. ASHOK KUMAR

## Government of India Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2823

To be answered on 16th December; 2015

## Prisoner Exchange Programme

## 2823. SHRI K ASHOK KUMAR:

Will the Minister of OVERSEAS INDIAN AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is contemplating to initiate prisoner exchange programmes
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether India has already signed some agreement to this effect with any country; and
- (d) if so, the details along with the steps taken to expedite the programme with the rest of the countries?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF OVERSEAS INDIAN AFFAIRS SMT.SUSHMA SWARAJ

- (a) to (d): The Government of India has bilaterallmulti-lateral agreements with 43 countries, as given in the Annexure, for transfer of Persons, under the guidelines the Repatriation of
- Sentenced Prisoners Act, 2004.

The prisoners of these countries in India, or Indian prisoners in these countries, can apply for repatriation in terms of the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, for processing requests of such prisoners.

*****

## Annexure referred to in reply to Lok   Sabha Unstarred Question No.2823 for 16.12.2015

| No.   | Name of the Country                                                   | Agreement on Transfer of Sentenced Persons-signed/ operational_   | Bilaterall Multilateral (inter-American Convention on TSP)   |
|-------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------|
|       | United Kingdom                                                        | Yesl yes                                                          | Bilateral                                                    |
| 2     | Mauritius                                                             | Yesl yes                                                          | Bilateral                                                    |
| 3_    | Bulgaria                                                              | Yesl yes                                                          | Bilateral                                                    |
| 4     | France                                                                | Yesl yes                                                          | Bilateral                                                    |
| 5_    | Egypt                                                                 | Yesl yes                                                          | Bilateral                                                    |
| 6_    | Sri Lanka                                                             | yes Yes/                                                          | Bilateral                                                    |
| 7     | Cambodia                                                              | Yesl yes                                                          | Bilateral                                                    |
|       | South Korea                                                           | Yesl yes                                                          | Bilateral                                                    |
| 9     | Saudi Arabia                                                          | Yesl yes                                                          | Bilaterall Multilateral                                      |
| 10.   | Iran                                                                  | Yesl yes                                                          | Bilateral                                                    |
| 11_   | Bangladesh                                                            | Yesl yes                                                          | Bilateral                                                    |
| 12    | Israel                                                                | Yesl yes                                                          | Bilateral                                                    |
| 13.   | UAE                                                                   | Yesl yes                                                          | Bilateral                                                    |
| 14.   | Italy                                                                 | Yesl yes                                                          | Bilateral                                                    |
| 15.   | Turkey                                                                | Yesl yes                                                          | Bilateral                                                    |
| 16.   | Maldives                                                              | Yesl yes                                                          | Bilateral                                                    |
| 17.   | Thailand                                                              | Yesl yes                                                          | Bilateral                                                    |
| 18    | Russian Federation                                                    | Yesl yes                                                          | Bilateral                                                    |
| 19.   | Kuwait                                                                | Yesl yes                                                          | Bilateral                                                    |
| 20_   | Hong Kong Special Administrative region of_people's Republic of China | Yesl yes                                                          | Bilateral                                                    |
| 21_   | Brazil                                                                | Yesl yes                                                          | Bilateral                                                    |
| 22    | Bosnia & Herzegovina                                                  | Yesl Not operational                                              | Bilateral                                                    |
| 23.   | Qatar                                                                 | Yesl Not operational                                              | Bilateral                                                    |
| 24_   | Viet Nam                                                              | Yesl Not operational                                              | Bilateral                                                    |
| 25.   | Australia                                                             | Yesl Not operational                                              | Bilateral                                                    |
| 26.   | Mongolia                                                              | Yesl Not operational                                              | Bilateral                                                    |
| 27    | Kazakhstan                                                            | Yeslyes under Multilateral Convention (Inter American Convention) | Bilateral /Multilateral                                      |
| 28.   | Argentina                                                             | Yeslyes                                                           | Multilateral                                                 |
| 29.   | Belize                                                                | Yeslyes                                                           | Multilateral                                                 |
| 30.   | Canada                                                                | Yeslyes                                                           | BilaterallMultilateral                                       |
|       | Chile                                                                 | Yeslyes                                                           | Multilateral                                                 |
| 32    | Costa Rica                                                            | Yeslyes                                                           | Multilateral                                                 |
| 33_   | Ecuador                                                               | Yeslyes                                                           | Multilateral                                                 |
| 34.   | EI Salvador                                                           | Yeslyes                                                           | Multilateral                                                 |
| 35.   | Guatemala                                                             | Yeslyes                                                           | Multilateral                                                 |
| 36.   | Mexico                                                                | Yeslyes                                                           | Multilateral                                                 |
| 37 .  | Nicaragua                                                             | Yeslyes                                                           | Multilateral                                                 |
| 38.   | Venezuela                                                             | Yeslyes                                                           | Multilateral                                                 |
| 39.   | Paraguay                                                              | Yeslyes                                                           | Multilateral                                                 |
| 40.   | United States                                                         | Yeslyes                                                           | Multilateral                                                 |
| 41    | Uruguay                                                               | Yeslyes                                                           | Multilateral                                                 |
| 42.   | Panama                                                                | Yeslyes                                                           | Multilateral Multilateral                                    |
| 43_   | Czech Republic                                                        | Yeslyes                                                           |                                                              |