New Delhi: Despite the terror threat
faced by country from illegal migrants, Home Ministry does not
maintain centralised information about such persons crossing
over from Pakistan and Bangladesh without valid documents,
according to an RTI reply.
"It is not possible to estimate the total number of
such foreign nationals, including Pakistani and Bangladeshi
nationals, who have entered into the country without valid
travel documents and are staying in the country since entry of
such foreign nationals into the country is clandestine and
surreptitious," Home Ministry said.
The ministry had forwarded the RTI application to all the
state governments and union territories for their reply.
It said over 73,000 persons from various countries have
overstayed after expiry of their visa period of which nearly
50 percent from Bangladesh and about 10 per cent were from
Pakistan, according to data of December 31, 2009.
The ministry also said that it has no data of people
overstaying the country for the year 2010 and 2011 as it is
yet to compiled.
In response to an RTI application filed by activist
Subhash Agrawal, the Ministry said 73,441 individuals of
different nationality were found to be overstaying in the
country of which 32,644 were from Bangladesh, 7,691 were from
Pakistan and 12,569 were from Afghanistan.
It said during the year 2009, 12,147 foreign nationals
including five Pakistani nationals and 10,602 Bangladeshi
nationals, were deported from the country.
PTI
First Published: Sunday, July 24, 2011, 15:35