PANJIM: A Polish mother, currently stranded in Bangkok, Thailand, has been petitioning the Indian authorities seeking to re-unite with her daughter who is living with an Indian family in Goa. Immigration problems that surfaced at the Bangalore international airport on her return from Sri Lanka last month have kept Marta Kotlarska away from her 11-year-old daughter.
The 42-year-old single mother entered India in September 2018 on a multiple entry B-2 business visa with her daughter, who is on a student’s visa and is presently pursuing schooling in the northern part of the State.
“My visa is valid for five years whereas my daughter’s multiple entry student’s visa is valid for three years. We both obtained our visas without any problem at the Indian Embassy in Warsaw (capital of Poland) and arrived in India on September 26, 2018. My daughter was registered with the FRRO in Goa on October 9, 2018,” Marta said explaining the sequence of events in a telephonic conversation with Herald from Bangkok.
As she cannot exceed the limit of 180 days, on March 14, 2019 which is when the mother-daughter completed their 172nd day in India, Marta flew to Sri Lanka to avoid an overstay. As per the visa renewal norms, there is a requirement for foreign nationals to formally re-enter the country.
In view of her daughter’s final examination, Marta flew to Sri Lanka alone and gave custody of her daughter to an Indian family, who is known to her. The foreign national’s ordeal began no sooner she landed at Bengaluru airport on March 24 where the Indian officials informed her about “some problem” with her immigration.
“The immigration officials refused my entry into India citing some problem. It came as a shock to me because I know I have not violated any Indian law and neither are my documents illegal. I was stopped from questioning officials. I also told them that my daughter is in Goa and I had a connecting flight from Bangalore to Goa,” she said alleging her requests were unheard.
“I flew to Bangkok (from Bangalore) as I knew someone there who could help solve my problem. I am here at the Indian Embassy at the moment and continuously tweeting to the Ministry of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj pleading help. I have also made written representations to the Ministry of Home Affairs. None has reverted back yet,” she said.
Desperate to re-unite with her daughter, Marta expects that the MEA minister who often reaches out to people in need of help, extends assistance to her too. “Respected @SushmaSwaraj I beg for help to reunite with my 11-year-old daughter and let her finish her education in peace @MEAIndia I was refused re-entry to India after short trip. She is in India where she has school,” Marta tweeted.
The year 2018 was Marta’s second entry into India as she had earlier visited the country with her ex-husband in the year 2014.
