Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal on Thursday said the government has taken an initiative to deport around 11,000 foreigners staying in Bangladesh without valid documents.

The minister came up with the disclosure at the secretariat following a meeting of the cabinet committee on law and order.

The authorities enlisted around 11,000 foreigners who do not have valid visas or passports, the minister said, adding some of them are currently imprisoned for their involvement in crimes.

Although their passports expired, they never tried to return home. Even the embassies of their respective countries in Dhaka did not respond when the authorities concerned contacted them to discuss the issue. That is why the government has taken an initiative to send them back to their respective countries, he added.

Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque, also the president of the cabinet committee on law and order, echoed the Home Minister’s remark, saying, “Our intelligence agencies have worked successfully to identify the illegal foreigners.”

Minister Mozammel also said the process of deporting some foreigners appeared to be complicated as there is no money with them. Besides, there are some countries that do not have embassies in Dhaka.

The cabinet committee recommended allocation of some money in this regard, he added.