23 hrs ago
Goa CM Repeats Claim Migrants Commit Over 90% Crimes
Goa’s chief minister said migrants are responsible for more than 90% of crimes in the state.
He repeated a similar claim he made in 2023.
He said police should check the backgrounds of tenants and workers before they rent homes or begin work.
The government also uses patrol vehicles, tourist police and railway-station patrols.
An opposition lawmaker said rape cases had increased from 72 in 2021 to 103 in 2025.
Sawant said some reported cases involved failed relationships, elopements, underage marriages and extramarital affairs.
Another opposition lawmaker asked what the government would do besides checking people’s backgrounds.
The lawmakers also disagreed over crime detection, convictions and the usefulness of more security cameras.
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant again claimed migrants commit more than 90% of crimes in the state.
Sawant made the statement during a law-and-order discussion in the Goa Legislative Assembly on Tuesday.
He said tenant and labourer verification, mobile patrols, tourist police and railway patrols are key crime-prevention measures.
Opposition MLA Viresh Borkar cited a 98.92% crime-detection rate and a 5.85% conviction rate while alleging worsening law and order.
AAP MLA Venzy Viegas asked what measures beyond verification would reduce the alleged migrant-linked crime rate.
- Who
- Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, opposition MLAs Viresh Borkar and Venzy Viegas, and the Goa Police.
- What
- Sawant claimed that more than 90% of crimes in Goa are committed by migrants and described the government’s crime-prevention measures.
- Where
- The Goa Legislative Assembly, concerning crime and security in Goa.
- When
- Tuesday, during a law-and-order discussion in the Goa Legislative Assembly; Sawant made a similar claim in 2023.
- Why
- Sawant said tenant and labourer verification and other policing measures are intended to prevent crime and strengthen security.
Government Position
Opposition Concerns
Migrants and crime
Government Position
Sawant claimed migrants account for more than 90% of crimes and said this is why tenant and labourer verification is being stressed.
Opposition Concerns
Viegas questioned what steps beyond verification would reduce the alleged crime rate from 90% to zero.
State of law and order
Government Position
The government cited mobile patrols, tourist police, railway patrols and analysis of narcotics cases and intelligence inputs as crime-prevention efforts.
Opposition Concerns
Borkar alleged a collapse of law and order, referring to incidents including a casino-director shooting, drug smuggling in Colvale jail and rising rape cases.
Security cameras and justice
Government Position
Sawant said increasing CCTV coverage cannot prevent thefts because criminals know how to switch off cameras.
Opposition Concerns
Borkar questioned why the government was not installing more CCTVs and contrasted the high detection rate with the low conviction rate.
Reasons for reported rape-case increase
Government Position
Sawant said some cases involved failed live-in relationships, failed love affairs, elopements with known persons, underage marriages among migrant workers and extramarital affairs.
Opposition Concerns
Borkar cited the reported increase from 72 cases in 2021 to 103 in 2025 as evidence of worsening law-and-order conditions.
Key facts
- Chief minister’s claim
- Pramod Sawant said more than 90% of crimes in Goa are committed by migrants.
- Main government measure
- The government emphasizes police verification of tenants and labourers.
- Crime detection
- Viresh Borkar cited a Goa Police crime-detection rate of 98.92%.
- Conviction rate
- Borkar cited a conviction rate of 5.85%.
- Reported rape cases
- Borkar said cases rose from 72 in 2021 to 103 in 2025, a 43% increase.
- Patrolling measures
- PCR vans, motorcycles, highway patrol vans, tourist police and railway-station patrols have been deployed.
- Crime-profile analysis
- The government says it regularly analyzes serious-offence accused profiles, including origin, repeat-offender status and possible links to interstate or organized crime.
Quotes
Pramod Sawant
Chief minister of Goa
“You are admitting that 90% of crime is due to migrants. What is the next step then? Besides [tenant] verification, what are the steps that the government plans to take to reduce this crime… from 90% to 0%?”
indianexpress.com
“First and among the foremost things that the police department has done is verification of labourers and tenants”
scroll.in
Sources
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