Oldham MP denied entry into India whilst going to visit family

An MP from Oldham has been denied entry to India and said that she has been "treated like a criminal".

Debbie Abrahams MP chairs a Parliamentary group on Kashmir, a disputed area of India, and has been critical of the Indian government's decision to revoke its autonomous status last year.

Ms Abrahams was told that her e-visa had been rejected.

She disputed this saying that it was issued last October and is valid until October this year.

Foreign Office minister Lord Ahmad has spoken to the Indian High Commissioner in London about the situation.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We are in contact with the Indian authorities and Lord Ahmad has spoken with the Indian High Commissioner to understand why Deborah Abrahams MP was denied entry to India.

"We provided consular assistance to her whilst she was in New Delhi Airport."

The MP for Oldham East and Saddleworth said: "Along with everyone else, I presented myself at the immigration desk with my documents including my e-visa, had my photograph taken and then the official looked at his screen and started shaking his head.

“Then he told me my visa was rejected, took my passport, and disappeared for about 10 minutes.

“When he came back he was very rude and aggressive shouting at me to ‘come with me'. I told him not to speak to me like that and was then taken to a cordoned-off area marked as a Deportee Cell."

Ms Abrahams says that she then contacted her relatives, who got in touch with the British High Commission.

She added: "After lots of different immigration officials came to me, I tried to establish why the visa had been revoked and if I could get a ‘visa on arrival’ but no-one seemed to know.

"Even the person who seemed to be in charge said he didn’t know and was really sorry about what had happened. So now I am just waiting to be deported unless the Indian Government has a change of heart"