Immigration check-posts to be set up in Agatti, Minicoy Islands in Lakshadweep

New Delhi: Immigration check-posts have been proposed to be set up at Agatti and Minicoy Islands of Lakshadweep for granting immigration clearance to visiting foreign cruises and foreign tourists, the government said on Tuesday.

Minister of State for Home Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary said in Lok Sabha these check posts are likely to become functional by the end of the year.

Agatti and Minicoy Islands of Lakshadweep will offer direct entry or exit from India for all classes of foreign passengers, officials said.

The reason for offering the facility in the twin islands, which are separated by nearly 200 kms, is their strategic location on the route taken by nearly two dozen foreign cruises in the Arabian Sea, which touch exotic destinations such as the Maldives and Seychelles, they said.

Agatti has an area of just 3.84 sq kms while Minicoy is slightly bigger with an area of 4.80 sq kms. They lie on one of the busiest shipping routes and Minicoy is just 130 km from the northernmost island of the Maldives.