9 foreign nationals detained for overstaying, lack of valid visas in Delhi’s Burari

Police rounded up 13 foreign nationals from Burari for document verification in two operations and found that three of them have pending criminal cases.

North Delhi Police launched an intensive combing and verification exercise | Representative/ANI

New Delhi: North Delhi Police apprehended nine foreign nationals in two operations in Burari for overstaying their visas or living in India without valid immigration documents, as part of a crackdown on illegal immigration and unauthorised stays.

Two dedicated teams were formed to trace foreigners overstaying their visas and verify the status of those facing criminal cases, police said on Monday.

In the first operation on 7 September, a police team searched Baba Colony in Burari and detected three Nigerian nationals—Victory Isimah, Godspower Ikechukwu and Aliou Cisse. Isimah’s visa had expired, while the other two failed to produce valid documents establishing their identity or lawful stay in India, police said.

All three were produced before the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO), which issued restriction orders and moved them to the Sewa Sadan Restriction Centre in Lampur, Narela, for further action under applicable rules.

In the second operation on 16 September, a joint team comprising the Special Staff, Foreign Cell and Anti-Narcotics Cell of North Delhi district searched multiple locations in Chandan Vihar, Pragati Enclave and Maurya Enclave in Burari. Ten foreign nationals from Ghana, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Uganda and Cameroon were detained for verification of their travel documents.

Four were found overstaying on expired visas. They have been identified as Ann Favourite Michael (Ghana), Elise Djonba (Ivory Coast), Ebuh Happiness (Nigeria) and Godstime Ikechukwu Chukwuma (Nigeria). Two Nigerian nationals, Costa Abraham and Raymond Maduka Eze, failed to produce valid passport or visa documents, police said.

After medical examinations and other formalities, the six were produced before the FRRO and transferred to restriction centres in Lampur and Sarai Rohilla for deportation proceedings.

Three others—Ndagire Mizzy (Uganda), Emmanuel Owusu Nsiah (Ghana) and Sunday Chikezie (Nigeria)—were found to be facing trial in separate criminal cases with the Special Cell, Crime Branch and Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI). As their cases are sub judice, they were exempted from immediate immigration action.

Another Cameroonian national, Samuel Enow Ebot Manyienow, was cleared after his documents and visa were found to be valid.

DCP (North) Niharika Bhatt said further legal action was being taken.

Giridharan Velamore is a TPSJ alum, currently interning with ThePrint.

(Edited by Chingkheinganbi Mayengbam)