MEA worried about African students overstaying visas

As complaints of Africans about racist treatment meted out to them in the country grow, India is grappling with the problem of African students overstaying their visas.

For instance, Masunda Kitada Olivier, the Congolese national who was murdered in Vasant Kunj a few weeks ago, may have stayed in India for close to seven years. Even as his body was flown back to DR Congo on Thursday night, the Indian authorities are verifying whether he had the requisite permission to stay in India for so long.

Sources close to the developments said that many cases have come to light where African students have been found to have overstayed for long periods of time.

Meanwhile, the Centre on Thursday said it had been successful in defusing the anger among African envoys and students following the killing of Olivier by a bunch of criminals over hiring of an autorickshaw and instances of conflict between Africans and locals in various parts of the country. India has promised African nations that it will launch a sensitisation campaign among the locals in metro cities to tackle the problem.

The MEA said Gen. V.K. Singh (Retd.) will go to Delhi, Bengaluru and Goa where sizeable number of Africans reside and that the sensitisation campaign will involve states and senior police officials .