Sri Vijaya Puram, Jan 28: A shocking and deeply concerning incident has reportedly occurred at Delhi International Airport, involving 4 Italian tourists who were traveling back from the Andaman Islands.
According to the information received, the tourists were detained by immigration officials on the grounds that they did not possess a Restricted Area Permit (RAP) to visit the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Despite being foreign tourists—who are generally permitted entry under prevailing tourism guidelines—they were not allowed to board their scheduled flight.
More disturbingly, the tourists were allegedly forced to pay a penalty of Rs 50,000 in order to proceed with their travel. During this ordeal, the immigration officers reportedly refused to release them, causing severe distress and uncertainty. It was only due to the intervention of Lufthansa Airlines, which delayed the flight by approximately 45 minutes, that the tourists were eventually able to continue their journey.
This incident raises serious concerns about Unnecessary harassment of foreign tourists, Inconsistent interpretation of RAP regulations and Actions that directly contradict government efforts to promote tourism in the Andaman Islands.
At a time when the A&N Administration is actively trying to attract international tourists to these ecologically sensitive and economically dependent islands, such treatment at the point of entry sends a damaging message and risks harming India’s global tourism reputation.
Given the circumstances under which the misinterpretation of Restricted Area Permit (RAP) has caused unnecessary hardships to foreign tourists who visited A&N Islands, it can be expected that clear guidelines are enforced uniformly, the Foreign tourists are not subjected to intimidation or arbitrary penalties and Accountability is ensured within the immigration system.