AT least 185 Tanzanians have been imprisoned in China for various crimes including drug smuggling by 2014, with several serving long sentences behind bars.

However, the Deputy Minister for Home Affairs, Pereira Ame Silima, told the National Assembly on Thursday that the country has yet to enter into agreement with the government of China to exchange prisoners.

So far, Mr Silima said the government of Tanzania has entered into an agreement to exchange prisoners with Thailand and Mauritius where until now, Tanzania managed to receive ten prisoners from those countries to implement the agreement. However, the Deputy Minister said the contract with Mauritius has elapsed.

"The government is aware that several Tanzanians are serving sentences behind bars in different countries including China. There are procedures and laws that must be followed for countries to exchange prisonersÉ the countries must enter into agreement for the procedure to be followed," he told the House.

He was responding to a question by Ms Rebecca Mngodo (Special Seats -- CHADEMA), who wanted to know how many Tanzanian prisoners in foreign countries have been returned to serve their sentences in the country.

Ms Mngodo said that over 130 Tanzanians are serving sentences behind bars in various countries including in China, arguing that the UN has authorized countries to exchange prisoners and that's why Tanzania should use the opportunity to bring its citizens back to serve their sentences here.

In her supplementary question, Ms Suzan Lyimo (Special- Chadema), asked why the government was not taking similar actions against Chinese people who are involved in various crimes in the country.

She also wanted to know when Tanzania will enter into agreement with the government of China to start exchanging prisoners, so that when they return back they will be squeezed into revealing people they are colluding with in such illegal business.