PANAJI
After spending nearly 15 years in India, moving between states and playing football for local clubs, a Nigerian man walked into the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) Goa and requested officials to detain him and send him home.
In an unusual case of voluntary surrender, the man, whose identity has not been disclosed, approached the FRRO office at the Police Headquarters, Panaji, admitted to overstaying his visa and sought assistance with his deportation.
Officials told The Goan that the man revealed he had entered India in 2011 and had since lived in different parts of the country, including West Bengal, Maharashtra and Goa. He also claimed to have played football for local clubs during his stay. Officials said they are verifying his account.
“He has been lodged at the detention centre in Mapusa and the deportation process has begun. His travel documents are also being sourced from relevant authorities,” an official said.
According to information shared by him, his sister had brought him to India and they lived in South India. She was subsequently deported along with her husband, but he remained in the country and continued moving between states.
Officials said that with his resources exhausted and fear of being caught by the FRRO or police officials for overstay, he eventually decided to seek assistance to return home.
The case comes amid a series of deportations by the Goa FRRO, which has sent five foreigners who overstayed their visas out of the country in less than 72 hours this week.
Among them was a Kenyan woman who arrived in India last year and overstayed her visa. She was traced by FRRO in Anjuna, following which local police registered a case. She was convicted for the offence and deported after booking her own ticket.
Three foreigners - a Russian mother- daughter, and a Ukrainian man were deported on a single day. The Ukrainian man was also convicted for overstaying.
An Austrian man who came to India during the Covid-19 pandemic and later stayed in Goa was the fifth foreigner deported. He was apprehended by Mandrem police, charge-sheeted and convicted for overstaying before the FRRO completed the deportation process. All five overstaying foreigners had arrived in India on tourist visas.
