Crackdown on foreign students.

In a major crackdown on foreign students living illegally in the city, the Pune police has detained 225 students and started the process to deport them.

Since most of these students — from Sudan, Nigeria, Iran and other Gulf and African countries — study at well-known educational institutions in the city, the Pune police has also issued showcause notices to 25 educational institutes, including Symbiosis, Fergusson College, Poona College, Wadia College, BMCC and Spicer College.

The police believes these institutes have become “comfort zones” for foreigners.

Speaking to Business Standard, Senior Police Inspector Bhanupratap Barge, who is heading this drive, said: “There is a distinct procedure educational institutions must follow when admitting foreign students. However, they are ignorant about the visa status of foreign students when they are admitting them. Foreign students are expected to renew their visas every year and then apply for admission. All this has led to illegal stay of foreigners in the city.”

He cited the example of a student from Sudan who came to Pune 19 years ago and has been studying at Poona College ever since. “Every year, he would take admission to the first year BCom course and then not appear for the examination. The college administration did not bother to check his visa status before admitting him,” Barge added.

Following such incidents, the special branch of the Pune police launched a drive to trace these students in September last year. Since then, it has managed to identify 225 such cases. And now, colleges that have failed to report such cases might have to face stringent action. “We have issued showcause notices to all city colleges concerned,” said Barge.

Known as the educational hub of India, Pune city has 8,000 new foreign students who enrol at the 80-odd educational institutions annually. Other than these, a large number of students continue to live in the city illegally even after their student visas expire.

The colleges, on their part, claim they are taking precautionary measures to avert such cases. Hrishikesh Soman, principal of Symbiosis College of Arts and Commerce, said: “Admissions take place at our college according to the rules of the University of Pune. We are following the directives issued by the Pune police and we do not have cases where foreign students study for years in the same class.”

Brihan Maharashtra College of Commerce (BMCC) Principal Aniruddha Deshpande, told Business Standard that generous scholarships offered by Gulf countries encourage students to stay on in India. “Most students come from Sudan and the Gulf countries, which are probably not safe to live in. Students find Pune secure, so they stay here for a longer duration,” he said, adding: “At our college, we admit only those students who come from the university’s international students’ centre. We have been cooperating with the Pune police on this issue.”

Meanwhile, foreign students are worried. “We are aware of students over-staying, but they don’t create problems in the city. The police should not generalise this problem, otherwise genuine students will also suffer,” remarked a student who is studying Arts at Nowrosjee Wadia College.

An Iranian student from S P College added: “A number of foreign students run admission rackets and make money. Colleges also admit foreign students because they earn heavy fees.”

The police has not, however, registered criminal cases against these students. Barge explained: “If we register a case, then the student concerned stays in India till the final verdict is out. Instead, we deport them to their home country and inform the Indian embassy in that country. The student is then blacklisted and never given a student visa by India.”