Kerala resumes detention centres construction as CAA talks come to fore

Thiruvananthapuram: As per a directive from the Centre, the Kerala government has resumed the process of constructing detention camps in the state. The Director of the Social Justice Department has also issued a re-notification to setting up the detention centres in Thiruvananthapuram and Thrissur. Following the outrage, the construction process was put to a halt a year and a half ago and now the state government has resumed it amid the pandemic.

The notification states that the construction of these detention centres will be established with support from voluntary organisations. The centre was meant for housing those who have illegally entered the country and those foreigners whose visa and passport have expired. The under-trial prisoners of foreign origin and those who have completed their jail term here and awaiting deportation may also be shifted to the facility, said the notification.

The detention centres in the two districts will be constructed to house 10 people at a time.

The notification further directed the interested voluntary organisations to apply no later than 5 pm on June 15.

In addition to the basic facilities, CCTVs and barbed wires will be set up in the detention centres. The state police will be handling the security of the inmates.

The detention centre in Thrissur has started functioning and two Nigerian nationals released after serving their sentences and a Myanmar native has currently been transferred to the camp.

Earlier in 2019, the Centre had written to State Governments and Union Territories for "setting up of detention/holding centres in various States/UTs for restricting the movement of illegal immigrants/foreign nationals awaiting deportation as a part of its move to implement the National Citizenship Register (NRC).

Following this, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi who condemned the bill had cleared his stance in December 2019 had asserted that no detention centres will be set up in Kerala. He had also assured that the government has instructed the authorities concerned to stop all works started by the previous government since 2012 in connection with the detention centres.

The Kerala Assembly had even passed a resolution demanding to scrap the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), becoming the first state in the country to do so.

However, the chief minister and opposition have not currently made any comment yet even a week after the notification for setting up the detention centres have been issued.