The year 2022 witnessed a crackdown on illegally staying foreign nationals in the National Capital. During the crackdown, the Delhi Police caught and deported hundreds of such foreigners with the Dwarka district taking the lead.

According to data, as many as 437 illegally staying foreigners were deported to their respective countries last year by the Dwarka Police. Of the deported foreign nationals, a majority belonged to Nigeria.

A police source said that the illegally staying Nigerians were found indulging in criminal activities such as trade in narcotics and smuggling recorded in the past couple of years. In view of the increased involvement of the foreigners in crimes, the Dwarka Police launched an operation to nab them.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Dwarka District, M Harsh Vardhan said that special directions were given to the staff of operation units and police stations of the Dwarka district to develop intelligence and information regarding foreign nationals residing or roaming in the district illegally.

The DCP said, in the year 2022, continuing the crackdown on such foreign nationals teams of Anti-Auto Theft Squad (AATS), Anti-Narcotics Cell, along with police stations of Uttam Nagar, Dwarka North, and Mohan Garden, was constituted to nab such foreign nationals.

As per the police, majority of the rogue visitors stay in the areas of Mohan Garden, Uttam Nagar and Dwarka North of the district.

The teams swung into action to trace overstaying foreign without a valid Visa. During the operation, the Dwarka Police succeeded in apprehending a total of 437 foreigners during the year 2022.

If reports are to be believed, as many as 69 Nigerian nationals over-staying in the district were apprehended and deported by the police in the month of November-December last year.

According to a police official, the 69 illegally staying Nigerians apprehended in the last month of the year 2022 were mostly in the age group 25-40 years.

These foreigners were produced before the Foreign Regional Registration Offices (FRRO), who further ordered for their deportation.

According to the DCP, action has also been initiated against the landlords who rented their premises to such overstaying foreigners without proper verification.