30,000 foreigners staying here with expired visas

At least 30,000 foreign nationals, mostly from India and China, are currently residing in Bangladesh with expired visas and have yet to apply for extensions or renewals of their documents.

The matter came to light after speaking to sources at an intelligence agency and the visa wing of the Department of Immigration and Passports (DIP).

On December 8, the Ministry of Home Affairs advised foreign nationals, who are living in Bangladesh without valid visas, to promptly take necessary action as per existing regulation, warning that the failure to do so would result in legal repercussions.

Over the past month, 15,000 applications have been filed by foreigners seeking visa extensions or renewals.

According to available data, Indians make up the largest group of foreigners in the country with expired visas.

As of December 13, around 45,000 Indians were living in Bangladesh, with most of them here in professional capacity and the rest being students.

A senior official at the intelligence agency, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Daily Star, "The visas of at least 60 percent of the Indians residing in Bangladesh have expired."

This suggests around 27,000 Indian nationals are staying with expired visas.

China nationals rank second in terms of foreigners living in Bangladesh with expired visas, according to the Special Branch (SB) database.

"There are about 10,000 Chinese nationals currently living in Bangladesh, and 40% of their visas have expired," the official said.

The database shows that around 13,000 US nationals are in the country, but many of them hold dual citizenship, the official said.

As of December 13, there are around 119,000 foreigners living in Bangladesh.

Other foreign nationals include 7,500 from the UK, 4,500 from Canada, 3,500 from Nepal, 4,500 from Russia, 4,500 from Japan, 2,500 from Sri Lanka, 2,000 from Pakistan, 2,000 from Italy, 500 from Belarus, 500 from Indonesia, 500 from Japan, 300 from Bhutan, 150 from Portugal, 100 from Finland, and 22 from Argentina. Additionally, there are 17,928 nationals from other countries, many of whom are from African nations.

Apart from Indian and Chinese nationals, around 1,017 South Korean citizens, 187 Sri Lankans, 231 UK citizens, 97 Canadians, and 461 Nigerians are staying in Bangladesh even after their visas expired.

PENALTIES

According to the visa wing of the DIP, these individuals must renew their visas by paying a penalty before leaving the country or risk legal complications during their stay.

Previously, the visa penalty was Tk 200 per day, with a monthly slab of Tk 10,000, and a maximum fee of Tk 30,000 for a stay of up to three months.

However, the penalty structure was revised on December 5, Nadira Akter, director (Passport, Visa and Inspection) at the DIP, told The Daily Star.

She said that the penalty is now Tk 1,000 per day for the first 15 days after visa expiry.

"After 15 days till 90 days, the penalty is Tk 2,000 per day. There is no longer a limit on the penalty, and from day 91 onwards, the penalty is Tk 3,000 per day."

Asked about the impact of the home ministry's warning, Nadira said it could not be determined immediately, as the warning was only recently issued. "Moreover, we usually receive a large number of visa extension applications towards the end of December due to the holidays. We may have a clearer picture in a month."

EXEMPTION

Officials at the SB and DIP said students are generally not penalised for up to three months after visa expiry. After that, students must pay a penalty.

Additionally, dual nationals are exempt from penalties.

A senior DIP official mentioned that dealing with Chinese and African nationals or students is challenging, especially when their penalties are high.

"To address this, the government has decided to penalise companies and universities if they fail to notify authorities about the expiration of a foreign employee's or student's visa."

DIP Director Nadira said, "Universities should check the financial statements of foreign students carefully before issuing visa letters, as many African nationals face financial issues."

LEGAL STANDS

The SB's additional inspector general can authorise a case to be filed with the relevant court under the Foreigners Act, 1964, against those with illegal status.

According to sources, foreign nationals are getting away with expired visas due to weaknesses in the legal framework and the lack of a comprehensive database.

Many of these individuals are involved in criminal activities such as drug trafficking, fraud, dealing in counterfeit currency, illegal VoIP businesses, gold smuggling, online casinos, and even human trafficking. Some others are suspected of smuggling money to their home countries via illegal channels.

Enamul Haque Sagor, assistant inspector general of police at the Police Headquarters, told The Daily Star, "No foreign national has the opportunity or legal validity to stay in Bangladesh illegally. Police will take appropriate legal action against foreign nationals who will stay in the country illegally.

"In this case, everyone is requested to follow the instructions of the home ministry."