No data on illegal migrants: minister

New Delhi, Aug 8 (IANS) Minister of State for Home M. Ramachandran said Wednesday it was not possible to maintain any data on illegal migrants as there was no record of their entry.

In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, Ramachandran said: "As entry of illegal migrants into the country, without valid documents, is clandestine and surreptitious, it is not possible to have any data of such illegal migrants, including those from Afghanistan and Bangladesh."

He, however, said that in 2011, a total of 21,274 Bangladeshis and 12,744 Afghans who entered India on valid documents were found to have overstayed in the country.

The minister said instances of violation of Indian law and involvement in illegal activities by foreign nationals have been reported.

He said cases of the illegal migrants obtaining ration cards, voter IDs and driving license through "fraudulent means" was known but no official data was maintained on this issue.