Child airport mix-up is dismissed

Manama: Bahrain immigration authorities have rejected criticism over their treatment of an Indian mother and her toddler, who were stranded at Bahrain International Airport for almost 24 hours.
P Naziath, 19, and 18-month-old P Janna Fathima were refused entry to the country on February 27 after the daughter's passport was left behind in India.
This was, the GDN reported last Sunday, despite the authorities being given assurances by the Indian Embassy that the matter could be resolved.
Ms Naziath was able to leave the airport with her daughter at around 11pm the next day.
They had arrived at the airport at around 10.30pm the day before on an Indian airlines flight to visit Mrs Naziath's husband Azeel Kalathil, who works as a messenger at a bank.However, the mother realised her daughter's passport was missing when they reached the immigration desk in Bahrain.
The Indian Embassy was informed and was able to track down the passport with the help of staff at Kozhikode International Airport, who found it under a seat in the airport lounge.Her passport arrived in Bahrain at 10.30pm the next day after a pilot on the next flight agreed to deliver it to her.
Bahraini authorities allegedly refused to let the woman and child enter the country, despite the embassy promising the passport would be presented to them as soon as it was brought here, according to an embassy official.
"The General Directorate of Nationality, Passports and Residence GDNPR officials were in contact with the Indian Embassy officials after the mother had failed to produce her daughter's passport at the Immigration counters," said a GDNPR spokesman.
"All travellers must possess a valid travel document as a requirement that is met around the globe and Bahrain is no exception.
The embassy could produce an identification paper or issue a new passport to the child to record an entry, but fearing complication later in visa formalities in the family visa status avoided that course."
The GDNPR, however, informed the embassy officials that it would, on humanitarian grounds, grant entry facility to the child and keep the formalities pending till the passport arrives.
An embassy official said that entry facility to the child was granted "too late".
10/03/09 Begena P Pradeep/Gulf Daily News, Bahrain

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Categories: Airports Mar 2009, Foreign Mar 2009