FORGOTTEN FILES
The December 2025 fire at the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub did more than expose alleged safety lapses at one of Goa’s most controversial nightlife venues. It also brought back focus on the long-standing issue of foreigners working in the State without valid employment permissions.
Local authorities have quietly admitted that there is still no effective system to detect such violations unless they are specifically brought to their notice.
The issue resurfaced after a Kazakh national, Kristina, who was seen belly dancing moments before the fatal Birch fire in widely circulated videos, was allegedly found to have been working at the club without a valid employment visa. Police had stated that while she had applied for a business visa, it had not yet been approved.
The development sparked fresh discussions within government and police circles over the lack of a proper enforcement system, despite repeated promises of crackdowns by successive governments over nearly two decades.
Senior police sources admitted that enforcement remains scattered and mostly reactive.
“There is no dedicated system to continuously monitor whether foreigners are involved only in activities permitted under their visas. Action usually takes place only after a complaint, tip-off, raid or major incident,” the source said.
Sources further said that the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) Goa has limited powers in such matters, as visa approvals and classifications are handled by the FRRO Mumbai. Local police units, meanwhile, privately said they can act only when they receive specific intelligence or tip-offs.
“If nobody informs us, how do we know who is working where?” a police source said, admitting that monitoring on the ground remains difficult.
NO MONITORING SYSTEM
As early as 2009, Goa had announced plans to act against establishments employing foreigners without business or work visas. In 2014, then chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar publicly stated that foreigners illegally working in Goa “will not be tolerated” and announced police squads to deal with such violations.
Two years later, then Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar again promised “rapid action police teams” to curb foreigners allegedly working as guides, translators, travel agents and tourism operators while holding tourist visas.
The government has stated that foreigners found working illegally are booked under provisions of the Immigration and Foreigners Act and produced before the FRRO for deportation proceedings. One such case registered this year involved a Philippine national allegedly working at a salon in Porvorim without permission.
REACTIVE ENFORCEMENT
Official data show that 33,384 foreigners were registered with the FRRO Goa during 2024 and 2025. This year alone, around 27 foreigners staying illegally in Goa beyond their permitted period have been deported.
Police sources also admitted that detailed data on foreigners staying in Goa for long periods is not readily available with the FRRO.
The concerns go beyond visa violations. NCRB data from 2022 to 2024 show that Goa recorded 251 criminal cases involving foreigners, including 206 offences allegedly committed by them and 45 cases in which they were victims.
