Close to 1,000 “foreigners” are lodged in six detention centres in Assam and as many as 28 detainees have died either in these camps or in hospitals, the Union home ministry informed Parliament on Wednesday.

Junior home minister Nityanand Rai said that from 2016 to October 13, 2019, as many as 28 detainees had died either in the camps or in hospitals.

Rai said all the basic facilities, including medical care, were being provided to the “foreigners” at the detention centres in Assam. “The basic facilities include food, clothing, daily newspapers, television in every ward, sports facilities, performance of cultural programs, library, yoga and meditation,” he said in the written reply.