New Delhi: A British lawmaker was Monday denied entry into India on arrival at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in the national capital as her visa was found to be “invalid”, ThePrint has learnt.
Labour Party MP Debbie Abrahams was unable to clear customs in Delhi and will now be deported, confirmed an official at the Bureau of Immigration, who did not wish to be named.
Abrahams chairs a UK parliamentary group focused on Kashmir, and has been a critic of the Narendra Modi government’s move to scrap Article 370.
Speaking to news agency Associated Press, Abrahams said the immigration officials didn’t cite any reason for denying her entry and revoking her visa, which was valid until October 2020.
However, sources in the immigration department told ThePrint that Abrahams came to India with an e-visa that had been cancelled by authorities earlier and hence wasn’t valid.
“The visa she came on was a cancelled visa,” the official said. “She did have a visa that was valid till October 2020, but it was cancelled over some ground and she was also informed about the same, well in advance, via an email.”
The official said she was also conveyed that she should contact the Indian embassy in the UK if she wanted the visa again.
“A detailed mail was sent to her and she was also told that she should contact the embassy for a fresh visa but she chose to fly with the cancelled visa,” said the official.
Abrahams, along with her aide Harpreet Upal, arrived at the IGI Airport on an Emirates flight from Dubai at 9 am. She was supposed to be in India for two days on a personal trip, said the AP report.
“I tried to establish why the visa had been revoked and if I could get a ‘visa on arrival’ but no one seemed to know,” AP quoted her as saying in a statement.
In a Twitter post later in the day, Abrahams said she would “continue to challenge my own Government & others while injustice & abuse is unchecked”.
“In response to some of the comments I was planning to visit Indian family in Dehli accompanied by my Indian aide. I became a politician to promote social justice & human rights FOR ALL. I will continue to challenge my own Government & others while injustice & abuse is unchecked,” she posted.
Also read: Need to ensure full respect for human rights, fundamental freedoms in Kashmir: UN chief
Notice sent to Emirates
The Bureau of Immigration has now sent a notice to Emirates to ascertain how Debbie Abrahams was allowed to board the flight with an invalid visa, said the official quoted above.
“The airlines did not check her visa before she boarded and that is a violation too. Also, the details that her visa has been cancelled should have been with the airlines as it is also updated in their system, but they were not careful enough to check,” said the official.
“We have now sent them a notice seeking an explanation for the same,” added the official.
The official also said when the staff at the airport asked her to show them a copy of her visa, she showed them the visa that was cancelled.
“She then requested us to give her an on-arrival visa, which we refused. Travelling without a valid visa is an offence. It is a violation of visa rules. Hence, she will now be sent back,” the source said.
Criticism of Kashmir move
Since the Modi government scrapped Jammu and Kashmir’s special status on 4 August 2019 and clamped down on communications, Oldham East and Saddleworth MP Debbie Abrahams has organised programmes in the UK and started a petition to raise awareness about the issue.
In her petition addressed to the British PM, she called on the UK government and the international community to use “all diplomatic and economic measures at their disposal to influence the Indian and Pakistan government to ensure that democracy is respected and that the Kashmiri people are at the heart of any constitutional reform of the region”.
On a page titled “Oldham stands in solidarity with Kashmir” on her website, Abrahams wrote about her concerns about detentions of political leaders and even children in Kashmir, and mass mobilisation of troops in the region.
“We heard first hand from local people who are understandably distraught at not having been able to contact their relatives as a result of India’s media and communications blackout. They are really concerned about violence escalating as tens of thousands of Indian troops have been sent to the region, and hundreds of politicians are either under house arrest or have been detained,” she wrote.
“There are also worrying reports that children as young as 11 years old are being detained.”
She also asked the Government of India to ensure that the United Nations Security Council resolutions on Kashmir are respected.
Abrahams also wrote to India’s High Commissioner to the UK, saying the government action “betrays the trust of the people” of Kashmir. She was elected chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Kashmir in 2018.
Also read: Kashmiri student alleges OYO Room in Delhi didn’t let him check-in because of his identity
This is first time India is showing to these anti Indians their place. If UK does not like Ireish issue to be discussed outside UK so is India for Kasmir. The government has taken right action clearly sending signal that interference in our internal affairs will not be allowed.
Labour party is a gone case in UK. This lady is pampering to her mirpuri Kashmir constituents which is vote bank politics. India will do what is good for her.
This nritish MP has no right to interfere with how we conduct administration in our country and need not pose her dirty nose in our internal affairs.These are paid politicians who work at the behest of vested interests. The authorities have done good to send her back and not allowed entry in the country.Their interference in out internal administrative decisions amounts to criminality and therefore these type of paid and hypocrite people should be treated ad criminals and given befitting response to nip their criminal agenda in the bud itself .
True face of india. India is a terrorist state run by terrorist modi. Strange world has shut his mouth.
finally some spine by the indian govt, yup lady the world has changed a lot since 1947.
This women is a known trouble maker. Her constituency is full Mirpuri Pakis and also a lot of Bangladeshis and this tamasha is to pander to these groups. Further Labour Party is finished as a force in UK and essentially dominated by the Loony And the Anti Semitic Left. And it’s best Left alone!! Excellent work by our foreign ministry to deport her.
Fine column by Ambassador K C Singh in Asian Age, urging a more civil tone by our diplomats, headed by the accomplished EAM. Our diplomacy now has the tungsten edge which marks our domestic politics. Does not advance our strategic or economic interests in the world. There are 630 MPs in the House of Commons. It cannot be expected that all of them – any more than US Reps or Senators – will agree with our official position on all matters of import. We are not either China or the US. We need smart diplomacy, not a sledgehammer. Now that each small South Asian country has a choice, see how they are showing us Red Red eyes.
oh please the current world is not diplomatic in any way shape or form. footnotes like turkey and malaysia have had the audacity to talk gibberish, the world belongs to those who have the biggest sticks and the capacity to wield it, this pathetic excuse for labour politician just found out the world doesnt revolve around her and her pathetic liberal echo chamber. when was the last time a labour mp spoke about uyighurs? baloch? ,,,india doesnt take nonsense lying down anymore, we will tear you a new one, just like jaishankar shut up that neo hawk lindsay the other day,