There are allegations that many of them are involved in organised crime while many have been working in different organisations and taking their earnings abroad through ‘hundi’, evading tax.
Special Branch of police keeps watch on the foreign nationals.
According to them, there are 12,790 undocumented foreign nationals in the country, till Thursday. The majority of them are from India. Others include Korean, Chinese and US citizens. They stayed illegally after coming on tourist and business visas, and some with on-arrival visas.
Six Egyptian citizens have been staying for the longest period, 17 years while some undocumented foreigners are staying for three years.
It has to be ensured that those who are working legally are staying here with genuine visas, otherwise the country will be affected financially.
Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit (RMMRU) executive director CR Abrar
People familiar with migration said the number of documented foreigners have decreased by three-fourth due to outbreak of coronavirus.
Official statistics show there are some 20,197 foreigners of 140 countries. 10,974 are Indians and 2093 Chinese.
On 25 February, Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) in a study said the highest number of foreigners work in the RMG and textile sectors.
Besides, many foreigners are engaged in different development projects, power generation plants, international organisations, hotels and restaurants.
Many of them are evading tax. Many are working illegally and taking away money. They are taking away Tk 260 billion every year.
Speaking to Prothom Alo about the matter, foreign minister AK Abdul Momen said, “There is no information of so many foreigners staying in Bangladesh.”
He said they are supposed to be fined for staying after expiry of validity of visa. Monitoring has been strengthened for issuing on-arrival visas during the coronavirus pandemic.
There is no information of so many foreigners staying in Bangladesh. They are supposed to be fined for staying after expiry of validity of visa. Monitoring has been strengthened for issuing on-arrival visas during the coronavirus pandemic.
Foreign minister AKM Abdul Momen
On 7 November 2019, in a meeting of the cabinet committee on the law and order at the home ministry, the issue of undocumented foreigners was discussed.
After the meeting, the committee chairman and liberation affairs minister AKM Mozzammel Huq said the government has taken an initiative to send back 11,000 undocumented foreigners. One year has elapsed since then.
About the latest situation, home ministry security services division secretary Md Shaiduzzaman said there is no detention centre to keep the undocumented foreigners. Cases need to be filed to keep them in the jail. That is a matter of time and finance. So a process is on to prepare a detention centre.
How they are coming
Sources at the immigration authorities said 33 types of visas are given to foreign nationals to enter Bangladesh. These include visa on arrival (VOA), B (business or business representative), T (tourist) and P (player).
A section of these foreigners stay on despite expiry of the validity of their visas.
Analysing an SB report, it is found that of the undocumented, 4,641 foreigners came on tourist visa between 2017 and 2019. Around 2,000 came in business visas.
Officials concerned said many came on business visas and illegally joined work in different companies without permission. Chinese citizens come in such type of visas. They work in different projects and in firms funded by the Chinese citizens.
There are allegations that many Indians come in tourist visas and work illegally.
