Cabinet approves treaty on transfer of sentenced prisoners between India, Nigeria

Union Cabinet has given its approval for signing a treaty on transfer of sentenced persons between India and Nigeria. The treaty will facilitate Indian prisoners imprisoned in Nigeria or Nigerian prisoners in India to be near their families, for serving the remaining part of their sentence and shall facilitate their social rehabilitation.
This treaty for the transfer of prisoners was approved under the Repatriation of Prisoners Act, 2003 passed by the Union government to send foreign prisoners back to their country and bring back Indian from foreign jails.

Background of Repatriation of Prisoners Act, 2003

Prior to 2004, there was no domestic legislation under which foreign prisoners could be transferred to the country of their origin to serve the remaining part of their sentence, nor was there a provision for the transfer of prisoners of Indian origin convicted by a foreign court to serve their sentence in India.
In 2003, India enacted Repatriation of Prisoners Act to provide for the transfer of prisoners from India to country or place outside India and reception in India of certain prisoners from country or place outside India.
So far India has singed such agreements with 35 countries including Nigeria.
Some countries which have singed such Agreements with India are United Kingdom, Mauritius, Bulgaria, Brazil, Cambodia, Egypt, France, Bangladesh, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Kuwait, Sri Lanka, the UAE, Maldives, Thailand, Turkey, Italy, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Israel, Russia and Vietnam.
The same kind of negotiations has also been concluded with the Governments of Canada, Hong Kong, Australia and Spain.

Month: Current Affairs - November, 2014