Nigerians create problems in Goa, India: Goa minister

Goa Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar on Monday said that Nigerian nationals not just "create problems" in Goa, but across the country too.

The minister's comment comes even as African nationals in New Delhi staged a protest against rising attacks on them and a group of African students also met Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar in the regard.

Parulekar, asked to comment on accusations of rape and kidnapping against two Africans levelled by a woman at Mapusa police station on Sunday, said that Nigerian students commit crimes on purpose to prolong their stay, sell drugs and indulge in "unwanted things".

He also said that a strict pan-India law should be enacted to deport them within one month.

"Nigerians create problem not just in Goa, but in the entire country. Nigerian students come to Goa and India to study, they get an FIR filed (against them), make it a judicial matter and then try to stay in India or Goa and indulge in drugs and other unwanted things," Parulekar said.

"Two years ago I had heard they had blocked the (national highway 17) highway. India should have a strict law, where the police force can catch them and deport them back. But that law is not in India at the moment, therefore it is a weak point in matters of governance," Parulekar said, adding that those who have been "black-listed" or have committed crimes should be deported within a month.

Police in Goa are on the lookout for two young Africans, who late on Saturday allegedly kidnapped a woman at knife-point and later raped her at a rented room in Assagao village, 20 km north of Panaji.

The exact nationality of the African nationals is still not confirmed, according to the police.

--IANS

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