(a) whether international passengers are inconvenienced and subjected to delay in immigration clearance at
Thiruvananthapuram International Airport and other airports in metropolitan cities owing to insufficient
number of immigration officers; and
(b) if so, the steps taken by the Government to ensure smooth and speedy immigration clearance at these
airports facilitating passenger convenience?
MINISTER OF THE STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS (SHRI MULLAPPALLY RAMACHANDRAN)
(a) & (b): A statement is attached.
STATEMENT IN REPLY TO PART (a) & (b) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3321 FOR 23.08.2011.
(a): No specific complaints about inconvenience caused to passengers due to delay in immigration clearance
has been reported from any passenger in the recent past.
(b): A number of steps have been taken by the Government for smooth and speedy immigration clearance at
airports and for facilitating passenger convenience. These steps include:
(i) The immigration officers have been provided with technical gadgets i.e. Ultraviolet lamps and magnifying
glasses, QDX machines, Passport Reading Machines etc.
(ii) Visa details of foreigners coming to India from some countries are available in Visa PISON system
to the Immigration authorities for cross checking of visa details.
(iii) The specimen copies of the visa stickers of different countries are provided to the Immigration counter
officers to ascertain genuiness of the doubtful visas.
(iv) Special training is organized for the Immigration counter officers on Immigration procedures and Soft
skills.
(v) Machine Readable Zone (MRZ) has been included in the new Indian Visa sticker.
(vi) Photographs of the visa holder has been introduced in the new visa sticker to be issued by the
Indian Missions.