I try to avoid Mumbai airport whenever I get a chance. I'm an Indian born Canadian and I worked in the U.S under TN Status. And being a Canadian citizen, I do not need any visa and the TN entry stamp would be just fine. I didn't have any issues when I travel from Europe to the U.S with my TN status. However, back at 2002 at the Mumbai airport, the immigration officer told me that I can't go to the U.S as I didn't have a valid US visa. And despite telling them that I don't need a visa they told me that I'm not going anywhere. Finally, I was asked(bribed) 50 dollars to fix everything and I had to bribe fearing Job loss and my TN status in the US,in the event I missed my flight.
One biggest mistake committed by Vaishali & Vijay is that they being born and raised in India, they should have been fully aware that in Indian system, there is ALWAYS a way to solve any problems. Had they just passed couple of hundred US Dollars to the immigration officials or their agents who are easily found in the airport, as Christmas or New year gifts, their problem would have been solved then and there.
Had they given another couple of hundreds they their children's passport may be they would have got 10 year multiple entry visas.
Advise to Vaishali & Vijay.......Please do not try to equate American way and Indian way.
Kudos to Indian Immigration Officials....People should stop blaming others for their own mistakes...and then going online(media) to make this issue public....that was cheap...these NRIs think they rule the world...if they have their green card or citizenship....
RE:Mumbai immigration deport kids!!!
by Anil on Dec 22, 2006 10:01 PM Permalink
I have to disagree to the statement that US citizen parents traveling with their non citizen kids would be treated with due respect by USCIS officials when they enter the US. NO! I know US citizens who have been harrassed as they enter the country (brown skinned citizens ofcourse) even thru the land border. A white US citizen is not required to carry a passport to enter thru a land border. But if you are an Indian Origin American, good luck trying to get in with just your driver's license. You are gonna be detained for sure...even here in the US all are equal...but some are more equal than the rest. But yes they would wait for two hours if you can provide the documentation. That is for sure. But in that two hours you are gonna be treated like DIRT
I am really surprised at people actually defending the immigration officials in this matter!!! After all it was not a question of bending rules at all - but a matter of a little more humane treatment, especially to people traveling with small children. After all there would have been no harm done if the officials had held them at the airport and waited another couple of hours for the faxed documents to get there.
We Indians are so ready to bend rules and even forget them in most matters, but when it comes to issues like this rules have to be adhered to strictly and immovably!!! I wonder if it is jealousy for the so-called 'successful' NRIs that is being reflected in the behaviour of the immigration officials and the people who support them, or if it is just a desire for getting their palms greased with US dollars.
As for people saying that US immigration is no better - I have never seen or heard of US citizens particularly with small children being treated in this manner in their own country. It makes more sense if the Frenchman without visa was deported instead of two minor kids whose parents are legal Indian citizens.
Same on You Immigration Authorities. You can grant transit visa to french nationals but not to kids of Indian origin.Great!
I have came across some of the immigration authorities who doesn't even know that people of Nepalese origin doesn't require visa to enter India from any part of world., They stop my Nepalese wife at immigration counter in Mumbai, after I insisted he went to check with his senior officers and found out that visa is not required for Nepalese citizen. How ignorant? Are not they train on their job or don't they have access to system to determine who is require visa while entering India?
Though this is just small bad experience compared with this family but thought will share with you all
Firstly, forgetting the visa of your kids is unpardonable, however, lets imagine ourselves in vijay and vaishali's situation...what can one possibly do once they've realised they've missed some important documents? Well, you obviously don't want to miss your flight and lose on the expensive tickets you purchased, so you take the flight and deal with the consequences then..So, vijay and vaishali did the right thing..the fax approach was also right, however, the immigration officials should have given them atleast a decent amount of time to prove their point..Do we have a law which allows/ restricts the number of hours a person can be at the airport without proper visa documentation? If not, we need a law which helps us with the same. Vijay and Vaishali, you guys have learnt a lesson for life and a quote from bhagwad gita for immigration officials - "Perform your obligatory duty, because action is indeed better than inaction", however make sure that your duty was 'obligatory' at first place and just don't misuse the powers because you have them.
You did your duty. We NRIs are adamant and always keep criticizing our country, and contributing very minimal compared to our peers staying in the country.
It pity that the kids had to go through such a hassel but parents were equally responsible for it. Do not just blame it on the Inhuman official. It is blunder to forget the visa and PIO card. That shows their ignorance. The official must have thought that he was being taken for granted.
