65,000 foreigners found overstaying in India

New Delhi, March 16 : More than 65,000 foreigners, including 31,200 Bangladeshis, 14,500 Afghans and 7,500 Pakistanis, were found overstaying in India in 2008 and only 13,995 were deported, according to home ministry figures.

Minister of State for Home Affairs Mullappally Ramachandran told the Lok Sabha Tuesday that foreign nationals found overstaying in India had "entered into the country on valid travel documents".

He said in 2006 the number of such foreigners was 49,945, in 2007 it was 53,945 and in 2008 it was 65,149.

Some 14,492 overstaying foreigners were deported in 2006 and 13,248 were deported in 2007 and 13,995 in 2008. Related figures for 2009 have not been compiled so far, he said.

"Certain instances of some illegal immigrants having obtained voter identity cards, ration cards and driving licences through fraudulent means have been reported," Ramachandran said.

"When such instances are detected, the government takes necessary action for cancellation of such documents along with such other appropriate steps as mandated by the provision of the law," he added.