Karnataka identifies 911 illegal immigrants in 3 years; 365 foreign nationals with criminal cases

The Karnataka police have identified 911 illegal immigrants in the State over the last three years, according to a police report presented in the Karnataka Legislative Council. The report also states that 365 foreign nationals were found to have criminal cases registered against them during the same period.

Home Minister Priyank Kharge, in a written reply to a question in the Council, said the action was taken as part of measures against illegal immigration and foreign nationals residing in the State without valid documents or overstaying their permitted period of stay.

According to the report, verification of foreign nationals was carried out using the District Police Module (DPM) and the Foreigners Identification Portal (FIP). These are digital platforms used by the police to track and verify the legal status of foreign residents. The process was implemented in coordination with immigration officials and other concerned authorities.

Among the 911 illegal immigrants identified across Karnataka, Bangladeshis accounted for the largest number at 868. They were followed by Myanmar with 20, Nigeria with 13, Sri Lanka with 8, Nepal with 1, and Uganda with 1. The list indicates that the majority of illegal immigrants in the State are from neighbouring Bangladesh.

In Bengaluru city, police identified 5,304 foreign nationals, of whom 446 were found to be overstaying illegally. The report did not give the exact number of illegal immigrants in other districts, but it stated that the verification exercise covered the entire State.

The report also contained a separate section on foreign nationals involved in criminal cases. According to this section, 365 foreign nationals were found to be involved in criminal cases. Among them, Nigeria had the highest representation with 135 cases, followed by Bangladesh with 48 and Nepal with 44. Other countries with notable numbers included Myanmar (20), Ivory Coast (13), Uganda (13), Ghana (11), Sudan (9), Ukraine (9), Iran (9), Kenya (8), Sri Lanka (7), Gambia (5), Ethiopia (5), Tanzania (4), the United States (4), Cameroon (3), Indonesia (3), and several nations with one or two cases each.

The report listed the two sets of figures separately. It did not specify whether the 365 foreign nationals involved in criminal cases were included in the 911 illegal immigrants identified, or if they represent a distinct group. This is significant because the nationalities in the criminal cases list do not match the nationalities in the illegal immigrants list. For instance, the illegal immigrants list includes only six countries, while the criminal cases list features more than 20 countries.

This distinction suggests that the police may have tracked two different categories of foreign nationals: those staying illegally and those involved in criminal activity, with some overlap possible. The data reflects the ongoing efforts of the Karnataka police to monitor foreign nationals in the State and ensure compliance with visa and residency regulations.