MEA considers emergency travel certificate to Indian origin woman stuck at Doha airport for 15 days

NEW DELHI: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has considered granting emergency travel permission to a 50-year-old Turkish citizen of Indian origin stuck at Qatar’s Hamad International Airport in Doha for the past 15 days. While she has a valid residence permit, a Qatari ID, she is not being allowed in by the authorities due to not having a valid passport.

Nazneen Mohammed (50) had appealed to the Embassy of India, Doha, to get a travel document on humanitarian grounds as she has some ongoing medical issues like recent stomach surgery, high BP, thyroid and diabetes. She has three sons, one of them being an Indian citizen, and two sons currently residing in Doha.

Nazneen Mohammed, a native of Maharashtra, is a former holder of an Indian passport. She gave up her Indian citizenship voluntarily and opted for Turkish citizenship.

Her husband Imtiyaz Malik (working in Qatar Airways), is also a former holder of an Indian passport and is now a Turkish citizen. The couple has three sons, with one of them being an Indian citizen. The couple has been married since 2002 and has been residing in Doha.

Mohammed’s two minor children are in Doha. One of them is autistic and needs constant care and medical therapy. The second youngest son is in grade 12, and his studies are being affected due to the lack of contact with their parents.

Considering the humanitarian situation, the Embassy of India, Doha had taken up the issue with MEA considered granting her an emergency certificate, subject to certain requirements, so she can travel to India.

In 2022, the couple invested in Turkiye in a property and claim to have used the legal banking channels. However, it was found out that the property they had purchased was part of a fraud. The developer of the property had been arrested by Turkish authorities, and the property was later also seized by the Turkish government.

The woman and her husband travelled to Turkiye on June 16, claiming to have hired a lawyer to clarify the situation and present their documentation so that they can resolve the matter legally. However, after their arrival in Istanbul, both their passports were confiscated without explanation by Turkish authorities.

According to officials, the husband and the wife were separated and taken to two different detention facilities. The husband continues to remain in detention in Turkiye while the woman was deported to Doha on June 17 without her passport. She was permitted to travel from Turkiye to Qatar as she has a valid resident permit (Qatar ID) of Doha.

However, since her arrival in Doha, she was stranded at Hamad International Airport, Doha as she did not possess a valid travel document to enter Doha. (ANI)