J&K Govt forms panel to identify and deport illegal foreign nationals

Srinagar, July 10: The Jammu and Kashmir administration has established a seven-member panel to identify foreign nationals who have been illegally overstaying in J&K for the past 13 years.

This initiative aims to facilitate the deportation of these individuals and address the issue of illegal immigration.

Principal Secretary to the Government, Home Department, Chandraker Bharti, issued an order stating, “Sanction is hereby accorded to the re-constitution of the committee to identify foreign nationals illegally overstaying in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir since 2011."

The panel will be chaired by the Administrative Secretary of the Home Department and includes key members such as the Foreigners Regional Registration Officer (FRRO) of Punjab, representatives from the Criminal Investigation Department (Special Branch) of Jammu and Srinagar headquarters, all district SSPs and SPs (Foreigners Registration), and the state coordinator of the National Informatics Centre (NIC).

The committee’s primary responsibilities include gathering biographic and biometric details of illegal migrants and maintaining an updated digital record.

They are required to prepare a monthly report and submit it to the Union Home Ministry by the fifth day of each month.

Additionally, the Home Department has instructed the panel to coordinate and oversee efforts related to tracing and deporting foreign nationals residing illegally in J&K.

The committee will monitor progress on these issues and report regularly to the Home Department.

The panel is also tasked with disseminating information on ongoing cases in various courts and monitoring and updating the status of these cases for relevant stakeholders.

A nodal officer will be appointed to oversee the collection of biographic and biometric data of illegal migrants, compile progress reports, and maintain an up-to-date digital record of those illegally staying in Jammu and Kashmir regularly.