New Delhi: A man in his 30s who claims to be an Indian citizen has been stranded at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia for two weeks after he was denied entry in Delhi for not being able to present a valid Indian passport.
The man, who has identified himself as Aakash and says he is from Punjab’s Jalandhar, was last month turned away from Delhi after Indian immigration authorities refused to accept the identity certificate—reportedly issued by New Zealand to asylum-seekers—as a valid travel document to enter India.
He was put on a Malaysia Airlines flight bound for Auckland but was stranded during a stopover in Kuala Lumpur, with neither India nor New Zealand willing to accept him, sources in the Indian security establishment told ThePrint.
According to them, it appears that Aakash had earlier fled India and sought asylum in New Zealand, citing threats to his life. Whether he was formally granted refugee status remains unclear.
“He wanted to enter India with an Identity Certificate issued by the New Zealand government. When asked to produce his Indian passport, he claimed he had lost it. No one can be allowed to enter India without a valid travel document,” a source said Saturday.
A New Zealand Certificate of Identity is a travel document is issued by the Department of Internal Affairs to non-citizens who cannot obtain a passport from their home country. According to the NZ immigration website, this document allows holders to leave and return to NZ. It primarily serves refugees, stateless persons, or residents unable to get a national passport.
“A certificate of identity may be issued to a person who is not a New Zealand citizen and who cannot obtain a passport from their country of citizenship,” the website says. The certificate is valid for two years and holding this certificate does not affect the nationality or citizenship status of the applicant, it says.
The source quoted above said that Aakash did not, at the time of his arrival in Delhi, disclose whether he had sought or been granted asylum in New Zealand. “He was then put on a Malaysia Airlines flight back to New Zealand,” the source said.
“He was sent back because he did not have a valid passport. Without proper travel documents, how can authorities conclusively establish whether he is actually an Indian citizen or someone else? It is mandatory to possess a valid passport to clear immigration,” the source added.
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‘I have been sleeping on the floor’
The case came to light when a video purportedly released from Kuala Lumpur by Aakash was circulated online. In it, he says he had been stranded at the airport for eight days, and appealed to Indian authorities for help, saying he had no money, food, luggage, or change of clothes. He said he could not return to New Zealand as he no longer held a valid visa there.
Explaining his decision to return to India, Aakash said his situation in New Zealand had become untenable and that his father had fallen ill.
“I was coming back permanently. My papers had not been completed and nothing was working out. My father was also unwell, so I decided to return home. On April 23, I took a flight and reached on April 24. My passport had expired because my documents were not ready. I got a travel document made in New Zealand and came back. But when I reached, they refused me entry,” he said.
He alleged that Indian immigration officials held him at Delhi airport for two days to verify his credentials before placing him on a return flight, telling him he needed the required documents to enter India. He said he repeatedly told them he had no valid New Zealand visa to return to.
“I told them I don’t have a visa for New Zealand, but they forcefully put me on a flight to Malaysia. I tried speaking to the (Indian) High Commission here in Malaysia, but they told me to go to New Zealand and get the documents. I don’t know what to do. Please help me. I have been sleeping on the floor. I haven’t eaten. I don’t have clothes or even a blanket. I have been stuck here and I am desperate to return home to my family,” he said.
Another source in the security establishment said there was a clear resolution available: Aakash could be allowed entry into India if he is successful in obtaining an Indian passport from the High Commission in Malaysia.
The source said that the process was on and Aakash may return to India soon.
ThePrint has reached out to New Zealand immigration via email regarding the status of the man’s visa there. The copy will be updated if and when a response is received.
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