Crack down on foreigners staying illegally: RR Patil

Home Minister R.R. Patil on Thursday ordered a crackdown on foreign nationals, including students who are staying illegally in the state, especially in Mumbai.

Home Minister R.R. Patil on Thursday ordered a crackdown on foreign nationals, including students who are staying illegally in the state, especially in Mumbai.

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He also directed that strong action be taken against those who rent houses to such people or help them stay illegally by forging documents for the stay.

Patil gave the directives in a meeting of Home and police officials to discuss the issue of foreigners staying illegally in India. “Several foreign nationals come to Mumbai and other parts of the state for education, health tourism, garment business and other purposes. Some of them do not return though their visa validity ends. This is a serious security concern,” Patil said at the meeting.

The order for crackdown assumes significance following the bomb blast at Pune—a major education hub where thousands of foreign students reside — a week ago.

He said strong action needed to be taken against people who were allowing foreign nationals to stay in rented properties beyond the visa period as well as those who forge documents to help the foreigners get extended stay in the state.

Patil also asked the Home department to create a detention centre in Mumbai on the lines of one in Delhi.

The Home department will launch a joint initiative with the municipal bodies and Revenue department to find out forged ration cards and encroachments by illegal immigrants.