Afghan Woman MP Deported From Delhi Did Not Have Any Documents: Report

Rangina Kargar Deported: Member of Afghan parliament, was reportedly deported from Indira Gandhi International Airport on August 20. Kargar failed to show any documents. She did not have medical reference, or and paper from the Afghan embassy, according to reports.

A member of Wolesi Jirga ( House of the People of Afghanistan) and MP of Faryab province, Kargar had reached New Delhi airport on August 20 but she was not allowed to step out of the airport as she did not have visa documents.

Later the central government aplogised for the 'mistake' and offered her an emergency visa.

Rangina Kargar deported:

According to a report by ANI, Kargar had come on a Dubai flight and had a diplomatic passport which usually allows for visa-free travel to India for 30 days as per a mutual arrangement. After the Taliban took over Afghanistan, all kinds of visas have been cancelled. Afghan nationals can only enter India with e-visas.

According to a senior government official, Kargar had arrived at IGI Airport on a Dubai flight and held a diplomatic passport which facilitates visa-free travel under a reciprocal arrangement with India for 30 days. However, after the turmoil in Afghanistan, all kinds of visas had been cancelled with the exception of e-visas, which are the only ones allowed. Read more about her here.

A government official told the news agency, "An immigration officer asked Kargar to provide details of the medical treatment or the hospital she was going to visit or the details of the doctor she was going to consult, but she failed to provide any details to substantiate her purpose of arrival. She couldn't even provide any reference from the Afghanistan Embassy. She was never deported but was not allowed to leave the airport and she went back on the same flight on which she arrived."

India and Afghanistan had signed a pact in January 2016 which allowed for visa-free travel of diplomats between the countries. The government official added that "the present situation in Afghanistan is not the same that was in 2016 or before Talibam took over the government."