Sri Lanka has begun transferring Indians serving prison terms back to India under an agreement signed between both countries, the Indian High Commission in Colombo said on Thursday.

The High Commission said that two Indian nationals were transferred this week under the provisions of the India-Sri Lanka bilateral Agreement on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons.

Another 18 Indian prisoners will also be transferred to India within a week under the agreement, the High Commission said.

In all, there are 31 sentenced Indian nationals undergoing prison terms in Sri Lanka, eligible for transfer to India under the terms of the agreement.

The High Commission said that formalities with regard to the release of the remaining 11 prisoners are also underway.

The India-Sri Lanka bilateral agreement on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons was signed two years ago.

The agreement provides for the conditions under which such transfers can take place and the various obligations of the transferring State and the receiving State.

Accordingly, the requests made by eligible persons are processed by the government of Sri Lanka and forwarded to the Indian government for completion of the necessary legal procedures on the Indian side.

Indian nationals are arrested in Sri Lanka almost every month for working without a valid visa.