The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : 2 youths prevented from boarding flight for Jeddah

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Tuesday, Oct 14, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

2 youths prevented from boarding flight for Jeddah

Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD: Two youngsters on their way to Jeddah were prevented from boarding their international flight on Sunday night after the immigration authorities at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) raised objections over their visas which were in Arabic language.

While the students contended that they had valid visas, the authorities could not understand the Arabic language and did not permit them to board the plane.

As a result the students could not leave and they had missed their examinations in Jeddah, their relatives alleged.

According to their relatives, the students came to the city a few weeks ago along with their parents to attend the last rites of their grandfather in Jahanuma locality of the old city.

As holidays were declared to the educational institutions in Jeddah in connection with Ramzan festival, the children postponed their plans of returning home and stayed back at their relatives’ house.

On Sunday night, the students accompanied by their relatives came to Shamshabad airport to board an Air India flight to Jeddah. After they were issued the boarding passes, an immigration officer stopped them on the pretext of checking their travel documents.

Then the officer started arguing with them contending that the visas expired a month ago and hence they were not permitted to travel.

They tried to convince him that the visas were valid for one more year, but the officer refused to listen and reportedly tore off the boarding passes. “He had also removed tags attached to the luggage” claimed the students’ aunt Shaokath Jah. She pointed out that the absence of a translator at the immigration point had confounded the problem.

“We are forced to run from pillar to post to get more information. Why should we suffer for no fault of ours? We tried to call the helpline, but it was of no use. We did not know whom to approach” she said. When contacted, senior immigration officials said the airline companies have to provide translators to avoid such problem. “We will definitely look into the matter”, said ACP (Immigration) Murthy.

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Andhra Pradesh