31 illegal immigrants in home restriction, many more hiding in plain sight: Police

Team Herald

Panjim: Even as the Goa Police have 31 Bangladeshi citizens kept in home restriction, it may not be an easy task for them to locate and take action against the illegal immigrants. With no record of these immigrants’ entry into the State or the country and no record of their whereabouts, police sources suggest that there may be many more living in the state. 

The Foreigners Registration Branch of Goa Police said there are 31 Bangladeshi citizens who have been kept under home restrictions, which include the entire families of the ones who were traced. When asked whether the Tenant Verification mandated by the District Administration has helped in the pursuit of illegal immigrants, the Superintendent of the FRRO Branch Bosco George said that since there is no Central record of tenants readily available to the authorities, the police can only act on the basis of complaints, or random checks. 

George said it is easy to trace the immigrants who overstay, provided they have entered the country, and the State through registered immigration, but it is difficult to keep track of the ones who have migrated illegally, and are hiding in plain sight.  

SP Bosco George also said that like there is access to every detail of each and every foreigner who comes to the country technology needs to be employed to keep a record of the persons living in the state of Goa.