Karnataka identifies 911 illegal immigrants; 365 linked to criminal cases

Karnataka has identified 911 illegal immigrants within its borders over the last three years, according to a statement from Home Minister Priyank Kharge. Of these, 365 individuals are linked to criminal cases. The figures were revealed in response to a question posed by Karnataka Legislative Council member H S Gopinath on August 20.

The majority of the 911 illegal immigrants hail from Bangladesh, accounting for 868 individuals. Pakistan, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and Uganda follow with smaller numbers of identified illegal immigrants. The verification process involved checking the residency status of foreign nationals residing in the state, including those without valid documents or staying beyond their visa periods.

In Bengaluru city alone, 5,304 foreign nationals were identified, with 446 found to be overstaying their visas. The data on illegal immigrants was not available on a district-by-district basis. The verification process utilized the District Police Module and Foreigners Identification Portal. Among the 365 illegal immigrants with registered criminal cases, Nigerians lead the list with 135 cases, followed by Bangladeshis (48) and Nepalis (44).

Other nationalities involved in criminal cases include Myanmar, Ivory Coast, Uganda, Ghana, Sudan, Ukraine, Iran, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Gambia, Ethiopia, Tanzania, the United States, Cameroon, and Indonesia.