In a surprise check at a film shoot location in south Mumbai on Wednesday, the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) found several foreigners working without the required visas and documents. Several FRRO officers and the Mumbai police swooped down on the shoot location after a cine employees association questioned lack of checks during film hirings.
In April, the FRRO and the Bureau of Immigration had issued an advisory in this matter. As per the advisory, the authorities are aware of instances wherein foreign nationals (especially from Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, and African countries) arrive in India on visas for purposes other than employment and participate in film shooting activities, with or without remuneration.
As per the Indian visa norms and section 10 of the Foreigners Order, 1948, foreign nationals require an appropriate visa to work in India. It also mandates that the employing entity or employer must obtain the necessary permission from the civil authority concerned or the FRRO to hire people who entered India on a visa for purposes other than employment.
BN Tiwari, the president of the Federation of Western India Cine Employees, said, “The FRRO and Bureau of Immigration issued an advisory, yet several foreigners are working in the Bollywood and TV industry and making money, which they send back to their own countries. If we go abroad, they do not allow us to work without a work visa. This is a big syndicate involving suppliers, coordinators, and others. I wrote a letter regarding this and sent copies to production houses, the Producers’ Guild, and the Chief Minister of Maharashtra.”
