The prisons department has decided to vacate the Aguada jail within seven days by shifting out 122 inmates to the new facility at Colvale, which was inaugurated on Saturday.
“The Aguada jail will be used as a detention centre for the foreigners. Currently, State has been facing difficulties without such a centre,” said a senior government official.
Officials stated that the government had initially decided to have a detention facility in Pernem taluka, but the plans were met with opposition. The government had subsequently scrapped the plans. The state government was handicapped in the absence of a detention centre as overstaying foreigners had to be left free, allowing them to create a crisis in the State.
Once the detention facility is in place, foreigners will be housed at Aguada prison before being deported to their countries through respective embassies.
The requirement of a detention facility was felt in the State after a group of Nigerians created havoc on Porvorim highway in October 2013. The Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) and police had identified over hundreds of Nigerians over staying illegally in the State.
Following the incident, then Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar had announced in the assembly setting up of detention centre.
