The Hindu : Front Page : City turns into haven for foreign students

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Oct 23, 2007
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City turns into haven for foreign students

Marri Ramu

Till this June-end, as many as 18,852 people from 100 countries had flown into Hyderabad

Photo: P.V. Sivakumar

Friendly place: Iraqi and Somali students at the Osmania University campus.

HYDERABAD: The city has become a hub of information technology and health services. But what is little known about this fast-growing metropolis is the fact that people of more than 90 countries live here.

Nationals of lesser known countries like Djibouti to the more familiar US are living in the city, though for different purposes. Till this June-end, as many as 18,852 people from 100 countries had flown into Hyderabad and registered themselves with the Special Branch. This number does not include those coming as tourists, who need not register with the police.

While higher studies has brought most of them here, employment, business, missionary activities, research, conferences and seminars, diplomatic duties and official meetings are other factors.

There are 32 nationals of a lesser known country like Chad, 26 from the Dominican Republic and four from Republique de Cote d’lvoire (formerly known as Ivory Coast). The highest number of foreigners is from the US (5,724), Yemen (2,181), Sudan (1,892), Somalia (982), the UK (835), Ethiopia (679), Pakistan (557), Canada (489), Oman (482) and the Philippines (378). Several factors like better educational facilities, climate, low cost of living and freedom in individual life seem to have brought so many foreigners representing a variety of countries, feels Joint Commissioner of Police (Special Branch) Amit Garg.

Police on alert

The presence of so many registered foreigners in the twin cites has kept the police on tenterhooks, especially in the backdrop of the recent terror strikes. “Our inquiries proved there is no need to worry. Except some youngsters from Nigeria, no one got involved in any criminal activity here,” Mr. Garg says.

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