As of May-end this year, 678 foreign nationals who had come to Bengaluru for study, business and other purposes were illegally staying in the city after the expiry of their visas, the state government has said quoting information provided by the Foreigners’ Regional Registration Office here. Bengaluru city police have registered about 240 cases against foreign nationals for allegedly staying post expiry of their visas. These cases were registered in the last 30 months (between January 2021 and June 2023). He also said that in the same period, the state government deported 105 foreign nationals.

According to home department data, Bengaluru city police registered 121 overstaying cases in 2021, 104 in 2022 and 15 in 2023 (till June end). The government deported 56 foreigners in 2021, 41 in 2022 and eight in 2023.

Nagaraju asked if the government was aware that a few foreign nationals were illegally staying in Bengaluru and were involved in unlawful activities and sought to know what action it was taking. The home minister confirmed that the government was aware of the same and in its attempt to maintain law and order, it has kept a close watch on foreign nationals coming to Bengaluru for various purposes.

Responding to another question posed by MLC YA Narayanaswamy, the home minister informed the house that state police have detained 141 illegal immigrants from Bangladesh in the last 30 months and registered cases against 65 of them.