Post 22/11 attack, cops deport 100 foreign students

Following the Mumbai terror attack, Pune police have deported about 100 foreign students for security reasons. Colleges, however, refuse to divulge details of any such drive.

For overstaying visa, extending student visa for years

Following the Mumbai terror attack, Pune police have deported about 100 foreign students for security reasons. Colleges, however, refuse to divulge details of any such drive. 8220;We deported around 100 foreign students of different nationalities recently for violating norms like overstaying visa limits, extending student visa for years together, among others,8221; said Police Commissioner Satyapal Singh.

He said police have come across cases where many foreign students who fail in one institute shift to another institute or city. Several students stay back after visa expiry. 8220;It is a matter of concern when a student who comes for education from a foreign country fails for six years, changes college and cities and stays back even after the visa expires.8221;

8220;In such cases, we try to find if there is some other motive for the person in staying back,8221; Singh said.

Ashima Agashe, head of international students office of Symbiosis International University where more than 2,000 foreign students are enrolled into various courses, said no student from the deemed university had overstayed the visa limit. 8220;Every year, we prepare a list of foreign students who fail in the examinations and who need a short-term visa extension for about three-four months. The list, along with a bonafide certificate in the student8217;s name, is submitted to the Foreign Register Office FRO,8221; she said.

After the Mumbai terror attack, the police department requested all colleges to send updated information on foreign students enrolled. These included address, attendance records, vehicle numbers and so on. 8220;We submitted these details to the department early this month,8221; Agashe said.

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

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8220;We have more than 200 students at MIT. However, I am sure no one is staying illegally,8221; he said.

An officer from the international students8217; cell of MIT said prior to the Mumbai terror attack, they used to get requests from the police department to furnish information on one or two foreign students for various reasons. 8220;However, after the terror attack, 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.

Nowrosjee Wadia College principal Bhagwan Thakur said that the college was only supposed to keep a list of students who needed temporary visa extension. 8220;Our work is to issue bonafide certificates to students after ensuring they are for a genuine reason. It is upto the police to keep a check on students violating visa limits,8221; he said. Vishwajeet Kadam, secretary, Bharati Vidyapeeth, said no foreign student at the university had overstayed visa limits.