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Immigration officer plays moral police, asks woman why she was travelling alone
MUMBAI: An immigration officer at Mumbai airport played Taliban-style moral police recently, questioning a woman on why she was travelling alone. Worse, he held that if she had been allowed to go backpacking alone, her family background was questionable.
Two months ago, a 21-year old Indian woman planning to backpack across Europe had the misfortune of walking up to this officer's desk and facing a barrage of uncomfortable questions to clear immigration. She was due to board a flight to Abu Dhabi from where she had to take a connecting flight to Paris.
"I was not only treated rudely, but also insulted and humiliated. In the end, before stamping my passport, he said that I should not go crying to the Indian embassy if something untoward happened to me," said Aditi Prakash (name changed on request).Harassed woman flyer files complaint, probe underway
The immigration officer, who asked 21-year-old Aditi Prakash (name changed) uncomfortable questions about why she was travelling alone, couldn't be identified as he was not wearing a badge.
"When I have cleared the rigorous process of obtaining a Schengen visa, how are these questions relevant to clearing my passport?" she asked.
On her return to India on June 10, Aditi sent a complaint to the immigration authorities. An investigation is on into the incident that took place in the wee hours of May 17.
Recounting her ordeal Aditi said, "He asked me why I was travelling alone and when Ireplied that I am a 21-year-old adult and I can travel alone, he said women should not. He said he would have posed this question to even a 50-year-old woman if she were travelling alone." She added, "When I asked him why he didn't question the male passengers, he said that my job was to answer questions and not to ask them."
The officer then went on to interrogate her about her backpacking trip. He wanted to know how her parents could let her travel alone. He inquired about their profession. The girl had lost her father and her mother is a teacher. He asked how her family got the money for the trip. Her motives for the trip were questioned . He also wondered whether her parents were "respectable people" as they had allowed her to travel alone.
In their response to the complaint sent on June 22, the immigration authorities have asked for more details to trace the officer. In her reply, Aswati Dorje, deputy commissioner of police, said, "This office shall seek the explanation from the concerned officer as to under what circumstances did he question you vis a vis your purpose of journey etc." Dorje added that officers have been instructed to be very professional and specific in questioning Sandhya from Forum against Oppression of Women said, "The immigration officer should have behaved just the opposite. He should have offered her numbers of embassies and Indian authorities she could get in touch with in case she encountered any trouble during her trip."
An immigration official said, "After we received the girl's complaint, the entire batch was put through a behavioural training session. We regularly carry out such sessions at the end of peak travel season to sensitize officers. But one poor example set by one person is enough to give a bad image to the entire department." During peak travel season, around 30,000 passengers clear immigration at Mumbai airport per night and an immigration officer stamps about 500 visas per shift.
WHAT TO EXPECT AT IMMIGRATION?
Some of the questions a traveller can be asked
An immigration officer looks for visa mismatch, that is, whether the real purpose of the visit is different from that stated while obtaining a visa. Instances of people obtaining a tourist visa to go to a country to work are common. So an immigration officer can ask questions that may seem out of place. For instance, what is the capital of the country you plan to visit? Which places do you plan to visit during your holiday and soon. Queries depend on the passenger's profile.
Why the questions?
An immigration officer has the job of finding out whether people are being trafficked, whether people of other nationalities who have similar ethinicities have procured an Indian passport and are using it illegally and so on. So, the line of questioning depends on a passenger's profile, the travel experience shown in the passport, the country they are flying to and so on. In recent past, following a round of questioning, an immigration officer found that two women with a man (who claimed to be their relative) were actually being trafficked.
Can one lodge a complaint against an immigration officer?
One can lodge a complaint with the shift-in-charge who is a senior immigration official. His or her office is close to the place where immigration checks are done and a passenger can walk in and lodge a complaint.
Immigration officer plays moral police, asks woman why she was travelling alone - The Times of India
MUMBAI: An immigration officer at Mumbai airport played Taliban-style moral police recently, questioning a woman on why she was travelling alone. Worse, he held that if she had been allowed to go backpacking alone, her family background was questionable.
Two months ago, a 21-year old Indian woman planning to backpack across Europe had the misfortune of walking up to this officer's desk and facing a barrage of uncomfortable questions to clear immigration. She was due to board a flight to Abu Dhabi from where she had to take a connecting flight to Paris.
"I was not only treated rudely, but also insulted and humiliated. In the end, before stamping my passport, he said that I should not go crying to the Indian embassy if something untoward happened to me," said Aditi Prakash (name changed on request).Harassed woman flyer files complaint, probe underway
The immigration officer, who asked 21-year-old Aditi Prakash (name changed) uncomfortable questions about why she was travelling alone, couldn't be identified as he was not wearing a badge.
"When I have cleared the rigorous process of obtaining a Schengen visa, how are these questions relevant to clearing my passport?" she asked.
On her return to India on June 10, Aditi sent a complaint to the immigration authorities. An investigation is on into the incident that took place in the wee hours of May 17.
Recounting her ordeal Aditi said, "He asked me why I was travelling alone and when Ireplied that I am a 21-year-old adult and I can travel alone, he said women should not. He said he would have posed this question to even a 50-year-old woman if she were travelling alone." She added, "When I asked him why he didn't question the male passengers, he said that my job was to answer questions and not to ask them."
The officer then went on to interrogate her about her backpacking trip. He wanted to know how her parents could let her travel alone. He inquired about their profession. The girl had lost her father and her mother is a teacher. He asked how her family got the money for the trip. Her motives for the trip were questioned . He also wondered whether her parents were "respectable people" as they had allowed her to travel alone.
In their response to the complaint sent on June 22, the immigration authorities have asked for more details to trace the officer. In her reply, Aswati Dorje, deputy commissioner of police, said, "This office shall seek the explanation from the concerned officer as to under what circumstances did he question you vis a vis your purpose of journey etc." Dorje added that officers have been instructed to be very professional and specific in questioning Sandhya from Forum against Oppression of Women said, "The immigration officer should have behaved just the opposite. He should have offered her numbers of embassies and Indian authorities she could get in touch with in case she encountered any trouble during her trip."
An immigration official said, "After we received the girl's complaint, the entire batch was put through a behavioural training session. We regularly carry out such sessions at the end of peak travel season to sensitize officers. But one poor example set by one person is enough to give a bad image to the entire department." During peak travel season, around 30,000 passengers clear immigration at Mumbai airport per night and an immigration officer stamps about 500 visas per shift.
WHAT TO EXPECT AT IMMIGRATION?
Some of the questions a traveller can be asked
An immigration officer looks for visa mismatch, that is, whether the real purpose of the visit is different from that stated while obtaining a visa. Instances of people obtaining a tourist visa to go to a country to work are common. So an immigration officer can ask questions that may seem out of place. For instance, what is the capital of the country you plan to visit? Which places do you plan to visit during your holiday and soon. Queries depend on the passenger's profile.
Why the questions?
An immigration officer has the job of finding out whether people are being trafficked, whether people of other nationalities who have similar ethinicities have procured an Indian passport and are using it illegally and so on. So, the line of questioning depends on a passenger's profile, the travel experience shown in the passport, the country they are flying to and so on. In recent past, following a round of questioning, an immigration officer found that two women with a man (who claimed to be their relative) were actually being trafficked.
Can one lodge a complaint against an immigration officer?
One can lodge a complaint with the shift-in-charge who is a senior immigration official. His or her office is close to the place where immigration checks are done and a passenger can walk in and lodge a complaint.
Immigration officer plays moral police, asks woman why she was travelling alone - The Times of India
