Government seeks Centre's help to monitor foreigners in Bengaluru

BENGALURU: The violent confrontation between students from Africa and Bengalureans has forced the Karnataka home department to ensure effective monitoring of expats.
The department will seek the help of the ministry of home affairs (MHA) and ministry of external affairs to improve coordination between local police and the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO).
"This doesn't mean we want to deport foreign nationals or mean any harm to them. We want to keep a database of all foreigners and keep the FRRO in the loop whenever expatriates are cau8ght on the wrong side of the law.
Lack of coordination has resulted in many cases of foreigners overstaying beyond their visa stipulation going undetected," said an official. Additional commissioner of police (east) P Harish Karan, who conducted a police-African students co-ordination committee meeting here on Sunday, said, "In the burgeoning IT capital which has a population of nearly 10 million people, we're here to help and extend security to foreigners. But overstaying foreigners are a pain to the authorities as most of them indulge in illegal activities."
Police explained Indian laws and laws relating to foreign nationals. The 1152-strong student community was told to seek police help when they were in trouble. "But I also told them that overstaying is unpardonable and they will be deported immediately," he said.
He said police have drawn up an elaborate programme to flush out illegal expats overstating in the city. "We'll be doing it in coordination with the FRRO," he said.