Indian government strictly warns citizens from visiting Yemen

The government of India has lately released a press note warning Indian nationals to refrain from visiting Yemen, a conflict-ridden Arab nation.

The notice issued by the Ministry of External Affairs, India, reads that the Indian government had published travel advisories on January 21, March 19, April 7, July 30, and recently in October, that prohibited the passport holders in India from visiting Yemen under any situation for any reason before fresh notices are issued.
The Indian embassy laid great stress on the following points while addressing Indian citizens in its advisories:
• The passport or travel document stamped by the Indian government is not valid for the purpose of travel of the holder to Yemen

• If any Indian citizen ignores the travel ban and travels to Yemen, he/she shall be accountable for the action under Section 12 of the Passports Act, 1967. In addition, the passport impounded or revoked, depending on the case, under sub-section (3) of Section 10 of the above-mentioned act.

• On encroachment of the notification, the Indian nationals shall be refused passport under Section 6 of the above mentioned act for 7 years from the date of revocation of the passport.


• Should any recruiting agent or business entity is individually or collectively held guilty for sending Indian citizens to Yemen, all such recruiting agents or entities (including the company directors) shall be liable for action under the suitable laws laid down in the Indian Penal Code.

• Besides, the owners of foreign ships ferrying Indians to Yemen shall be liable for criminal proceedings and visas for travelling to India in future shall be refused to them.
The travel ban on travelling to Yemen were strictly put by the Indian government after Father Tom Uzhunnalil, a priest from Kottayam in Kerala, was abducted by Yemeni terrorists from a charity house in Aden. He was specifically warned by the Indian embassy from travelling to Yemen due to security lapses in the country, but ignoring the warning, the priest landed on Yemen. After a year, he was rescued with great difficulty from the clutches of the militants in Yemen.