100 foreign students deported from Pune

Since the Mumbai terror attacks, the Pune police have deported around 100 foreign students in the city for security reasons.

Since the Mumbai terror attacks, the Pune police have deported around 100 foreign students in the city for security reasons.

8220;We have deported around 100 foreign students of different nationalities during the drives conducted in the recent months for violating various norms like overstaying their visa limits, extending their student visa for years together, among other reasons,8221; confirmed Police Commissioner Satyapal Singh.

After the Mumbai terror attacks, the police had requested all colleges to send updated information of their foreign students. These included their addresses, attendance records, vehicle numbers and so on. Singh said that the police came across cases where many foreign students took admission into one institute, failed in that course and shifted to another institute or city. Several students also stayed back after their visas expired.

8220;It is a matter of concern when a student who has come to pursue his education in a foreign country fails for six years, changes college and cities and stays back even after the visa has expired. In such cases, we try to find out if there is some other motive for the person staying back,8221; Singh said.

Ashima Agashe, Head of the International Students8217; Office of Symbiosis International University where more than 2,000 foreign students are enrolled for various courses, denied that any of their students was among those who had overstayed their visa.

8220;Every year we prepare a list of foreign students who have failed in their examinations and need a short-term extension of visa for about three to four months. This list along with a bona fide certificate in the student8217;s name is submitted to the Foreigners8217; Regional Registration Office,8221; she said, adding that since the new police directive as well, they had submitted relevant details to the department.

There are about 20,000 foreign students studying in Pune, of which 14,000 are enrolled in the University of Pune. While Vice-Chancellor Narendra Jadhav was unavailable for comment. Rahul Karad, Dean of MIT School of Government, said that details of foreign students were regularly updated even before the Mumbai terror attacks.

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An officer from the International Students8217; Cell of MIT said that prior to 26/11, they used to get requests from the police to furnish information about one or two foreign students for various reasons. 8220;However, after the Mumbai terror attacks, we were asked to send updated information including course details in the prescribed format, which was done in the first week of December,8221; he said.