Detention centres are legal and were set up after SC’s directive

New Delhi, Dec 27: The detention centres in different parts of the country are in accordance with the legal provisions and these have been in place for several years.

These centres are in no way connected to the National Register of Citizens exercise, sources in the government said. The centres were set up to detain foreign nationals, whose nationality has not been verified or they are to be given travel documents by their respective countries, the source also told OneIndia.

The Centres have come up on the directions of the Supreme Court. In 2012, the SC had said that those foreign nationals who have completed their sentences must be released from jail and shifted to a place where their movements are restricted, pending deportation.

In 2018, the Supreme Court had told the states to establish detention centres or holding centres to restrict the movements of illegal immigrants and foreign nationals until they could be deported to their own country.

The law states that foreign nationals staying illegally in India have to be deported to their respective countries after they complete their sentences. In case, the foreign national has a valid passport, he or she can be deported immediately. However those without travel document cannot be deported immediately as their nationality has to be first identified.