“Police are in consultation with the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) for the next steps,” Inspector Parmar said, adding that “she faces deportation.”
A Burundi woman who had been living in Gujarat for 12 years could be deported since she has overstayed her visa by several years, police officials said, adding that her passport was also found to be invalid.
Diane Niyomwungere, 36, was detained from a Vipassana centre, where she had enrolled in a programme, in Kutch district earlier this month, Special Operations Group (Kutch West) inspector AD Parmar said. Also, she has reportedly expressed a threat to her life if sent back.
The Burundi national came to India on a student visa. She and her two brothers enrolled at Vadodara’s Parul University in 2014.
Niyomwungere, however, dropped out of college in 2016-17, citing a hike in fees that year, Parmar said
“Niyomwungere and her brothers then began to work. Her student visa was valid till 2018. At the time of her detention, she was employed by a private company as a helper in Vadodara,” Parmar added.
“As she was undergoing some mental health issues, the firm owner asked her to spend some time at the Vipassana centre near Mandvi, Kutch. She was enrolled in a fortnight-long course.”
The Centre had informed the Mandvi police station about Niyomwungere’s stay. All foreigners living in Kutch, considered a sensitive district because of the presence of an Indo-Pak border, must be reported to authorities as per the rules, the official said.
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When the police examined her credentials as per the protocol, they found that not only had her visa expired, but also her passport, the official claimed.
Inspector Parmar added: ” Niyomwungere had applied for a new passport. But she never went back to the Burundi embassy to complete the process… Also, she has declared that she feared going back to Burundi because she claims she would be killed there. She wants to live in Canada with her mother and stepfather. She claims her father was murdered in Burundi.”
Notably, the police also found a refugee card issued to her purportedly by UNHCR (Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees), which is valid till 2027.
Niyomwungere was questioned at the Joint Interrogation Centre on July 7. They said they did not find any adverse events associated with her during her stay in India. “The police are in consultation with the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) for the next steps,” inspector Parmar said, adding, “She faces deportation.”
Brendan Dabhi works with The Indian Express, focusing his comprehensive reporting primarily on Gujarat. He covers the region's most critical social, legal, and administrative sectors, notably specializing at the intersection of health, social justice, and disasters.
Expertise
Health and Public Policy: He has deep expertise in healthcare issues, including rare diseases, Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), the complex logistics of organ transplants, and public health challenges like drug-resistant TB and heat health surveillance. His on-ground reporting during the COVID-19 pandemic and Mucormycosis was critical in exposing healthcare challenges faced by marginalized communities in Gujarat.
Social Justice and Legal Administration: He reports on the functioning of the legal and police system, including the impact of judicial philosophy, forensics and crucial administrative reforms (. He covers major surveillance and crackdown exercises by the Gujarat police and security on the international border.
Disaster and Crisis Management: His work closely tracks how government and civic bodies respond to large-scale crises, providing essential coverage on the human and administrative fallout of disasters including cyclones, floods, conflict, major fires and reported extensively on the AI 171 crash in Ahmedabad.
Civic Infrastructure and Governance: Provides timely reports on critical civic failures, including large scale infrastructure projects by the railways and civic bodies, as well as the enforcement of municipal regulations and their impact on residents and heritage. ... Read More
