Over 15,000 Pakistani nationals illegally staying in India: Kiren Rijiju

New Delhi, Dec 10: Over 15,000 Pakistani nationals are living in India with expired visa, Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju told the Rajya Saba recently.

When the issue was raised in Rajya Sabha, Rijiju said as on December 31, 2013, 15, 179 Pakistanis were staying in the country with lapsed visa.

He said the largest number of Pakistanis, 8,500, are staying in Rajasthan alone. The second on the list is Maharashtra where 2,023 Pakistan nationals are staying illegally. The next on the list is Madhya Pradesh with 1,779 which is followed by Gujarat with 1,694, Uttar Pradesh with 341 and West Bengal with 220 Pakistanis, reports Times of India.

Rijiju added that while 74,569 Pakistanis arrived in India in 2013, 58 were deported the same year. He said the Centre, under the Foreigners Act 1946, had the powers to deport any foreign national illegally staying in the country.

Even state governments had the same power to identify and deport such foreigners.

MoS Rijiju presented the facts after Rajya Sabha member Narayan Lal Panchariya sought information on the number of Pakistanis who visited India in the last 10 years did not return back to their country even after the lapse of their visas. Panchariya also demanded to know if the Centre had identified such people.

OneIndia News