Karnataka High Court directs State Home Secretary to mandate all educational institutions, health establishments, business entities to report engagement with foreign nationals to FRRO

High Court of Karnataka orders institutions and businesses to report foreign nationals to FRRO, ensuring compliance and verification.

The High Court of Karnataka has directed the Additional Chief Secretary (Home) of the State government to issue a notification instructing all educational institutions, medical establishments, business entities, and State agencies to report immediately to the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) any engagement with foreign nationals, in a prescribed format.

The instructions would apply to all educational institutions, including universities, private colleges, language schools, etc. It would also apply to all medical establishments (hospitals, diagnostic centres, and wellness centres), all employers, including business entities, NGOs, research organisations, and cultural bodies and State agencies like the police, local authorities, district collectors, the court said.

All existing foreign nationals currently associated with these institutions/establishments must be audited and verified, the court said.

Justice Suraj Govindaraj passed the interim order while dealing with a petition filed in 2015 by six Syrian nationals, who had then sought extension of their visas. The petitioners were found overstaying for the past 10 years and were untraceable. However, they personally appeared before the court recently after the court told their advocate that it would not entertain their petition without their personal appearance.

During the hearing, the Central government said foreign nationals enter India under the pretext of studying at recognised educational Institutions, obtaining treatment at designated medical establishments, and employment in certain companies or research establishments. And some of them overstay beyond the period of visa.

Noticing this scenario, the court also directed the ACS to give instructions to these institutions and establishments to submit periodic status reports with the FRRO and cautioned the police that failure to comply would attract civil, criminal, or administrative penalties.

Also, the court directed the State government to inform the court whether the foreign nationals, who have overstayed in Karnataka are registered with the appropriate local or Central authority under the applicable law.