India: Information since 1992 on whether passport applicants are subject to a background check; on whether suspected militants can obtain passports; and on whether a passport would still be issued if the applicant had been arrested
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 March 1998 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | IND28800.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, India: Information since 1992 on whether passport applicants are subject to a background check; on whether suspected militants can obtain passports; and on whether a passport would still be issued if the applicant had been arrested, 1 March 1998, IND28800.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6abda60.html [accessed 30 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Information since 1992 on whether passport applicants are subject to a background check; on whether suspected militants can obtain passports; and on whether a passport would still be issued if the applicant had been arrested, could not be obtained from the High Commission for the Republic of India in Ottawa.
However, the following information may be of general interest.
Section 2(d) of the Country Reports 1997, which covers freedom of movement, states that
under the Passports Act of 1967, the Government may deny a passport to any applicant who 'may or is likely to engage outside India in activities prejudicial to the sovereignty and integrity of India.' The Government uses this provision to prohibit the foreign travel of some government critics... (30 Jan. 1998 n.p.).
The following information is taken from the Australian Country Information Service (CIS), Department of Immigration and Multiculturalism:
A 29 July 1996 report from the Australian mission in New Delhi indicates that the Indian government "does exercise a discretion in issuing passports," and that in some instances, passports "have not been issued to prevent the departure of controversial Indians from India."
However, an earlier CIS report of 17 May 1995 states that
An Indian official advised that the Indian bureaucracy simply could not cope with the workload involved in carrying out the required checks on individual emigration/ immigration, visa and passport cases. Cases concerning Punjab usually required policemen to visit a village and check through word of mouth, which, in turn had to be checked with available documentation. It took much time, particularly with the lack of requisite technology.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
Country Information Service (CIS), Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs, Australia. 29 July 1996. Report CX18426 on Indian passports. (CISINFO database)
_____. 17 May 1995. Report CX6864 on Indian travel documents. (CISINFO database)
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1997. 30 January 1998. United States Department of State. Washington, DC: United States Government Printing Office.
Attachments
Country Information Service (CIS), Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs, Australia. 29 July 1996. Report CX18426 on Indian passports. (CISINFO database)
_____. 17 May 1995. Report CX6864 on Indian travel documents. (CISINFO database)
Additional Sources Consulted
Research Directorate. "Legislation: India" country file.
Electronic sources: IRB Database, REFWORLD (UNHCR database)
