HYDERABAD: Somalian and Sudanese youth coming on a student visa to Hyderabad are turning into refugees. Currently, with United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, at least 390 Somalians and 50 Sudanese are registered as refugees in Hyderabad.

Many of these students have studied MCA, B.Tech and other courses in OU and JNTU-H affiliated colleges and have applied for refugee status due to conflict situations in their home country. Refugees alleged that they are denied employment in Hyderabad as they don’t have a resident permit and Long-Ter m Visa.

According to UNHCR sources, some of the students register for refugee status while they are pursuing studies and many of them apply for refugee status after their course is completed as they can’t go back to their country due to conflicts and their passports get expired.

Twenty-five-year-old Husham Abdel a native of Kordofan in Sudan told TOI, “I did my BTech civil engineering from St Mary’s Engineering College in Batasingaram. I came here in 2013 on a student visa. As my visa expired, I have backlogs, and I applied for Long Term Visa, and Foreigners Regional Registration Office denied the same. I have obtained United Nations HCR refugee status. I now live on the money my relatives send. The economic situation in Sudan has worsened, and due to the internal strife, our lives are in danger back in Sudan. I want to write my backlogs and pursue civil engineering course,” he said.

The student added, "In the college, we make friends, but on streets we are humiliated by a racial slur like blackberry’’.

Sources in Bureau of Immigration revealed that local FRRO’s could only extend visa twice and beyond that ministry of home affairs at Delhi has to give clearance for issuing a Resident Permit with long term visa on UNHCR refugee status. Due to workload at MHA, the processing of requests may get delayed.

Adil Adam, who has been living in Bandlaguda for the past ten years, said "I did BCA and MCA from Nizam College and OU. By 2015, I completed my studies and applied for refugees status as my passport expired. We live in constant fear of detention or deportation to our country. I have attended several interviews, and I was denied job in Hyderabad stating I don’t have Resident Permit and passport. There is no solution for our woes. I have no income and no work. I am almost homeless and move from one friend to other for shelter. I have a fiancée back at home, and I can’t bring her here, nor can I go there.”

UNHCR supports only the bedridden or ill refugees due to fund crunch.

Hyderabad police commissioner Anjani Kumar said, "During cordon and search operation, if we spot any foreigners staying illegally we inform FRRO. We have no further legal role in it. But if the foreigners are involved in any crime, we will arrest them as per law and inform the embassies of the respective countries.”

