It is very rude on the part of the officials and they should have atleast had some consideration on humanitarian grounds.People can forget things but they could have been given time to get the required papers.As regards being more considerate to foreigners is concerned ..if that was the case then strict action should be initiated against these people for the bias .
RE:Mumbai Immigration
by Kedar on Dec 21, 2006 04:20 AM Permalink
So what would you have the official do???? He basically has a few choices: 1. Enforce the law - which he did 2. Enforce the law and be nice to them - which he did not do...agreed he should have. 3. Grant them a visa - WHY? there is no provision in the Indian travel docs that states this...there should be, but there is no provision for visa-on arrival. 4. keep them in the airport until their documents arrive....i doubt there is a holding facility for that.
RE:Mumbai Immigration
by Krishna on Dec 20, 2006 10:01 PM Permalink
Immigration officials behavior is unjust, atleast on humanitarian grounds, they should have issued a transit visa to the kids.
I'd share my own experience with them, I was on a student visa and went to India after a 1 year stay in the US, and the immigration official in Mumbai asks me rudely "Why are you coming to India", is it not ridiculous to pose that question to an Indian citizen?
RE:Mumbai Immigration -- blame yourself!
by justaname on Dec 21, 2006 09:00 AM Permalink
Lets think of the reason why they were not given much time to respond. Why would an official do that unless they have a grudge against this family? Perhaps the sympathetic story does not tell us every thing. When a passenger lands at port of entry without proper papers, it becomes the airlines responsibility to carry the passenger back to where he came from. This is why airlines checks for proper visa papers for the destined country prior to passengers boarding the flight. Normally flights from US lands between 11:30 pm and 1:30 am in Mumbai and departs between 1:30 am and 3:30 am. The same airplane that arrived 2-4 hrs back would depart after technical inspection, cleaning, etc. If these families had to be deported back, how much time do you think the officials/airline would be able to provide?
This was an unfortunate thing to happen to anyone. But don't blame the officials for what has happened. It was your responsibility to travel with proper documents. You should have known that better being in US for 9 years. If you got to blame someone then blame yourself.
