Assam is seeing a dramatic rise in instances of foreign nationals caught violating the terms of their visas by attending religious events and giving speeches at gatherings sponsored by church organizations. After three Swedish preachers were detained and deported for violating visa norms by indulging in conversion activities, now seven German nationals have been detained on 28th October 2022 near the Kaziranga National Park for a similar alleged offence.
The seven Germans, visiting Assam on tourist visas, were found delivering speeches at church-organised functions in several places in Assam, and were detained in the Golaghat district. The detained persons have been identified as Christian Reiser, Michael Erich Schaper, Merten Asmus, Cornelia Von Oneimb, Hinrich Luppen-Von Oneimb, Christa Olearius, and Lisa Aimee Bloem. Along with the prisoners, an Indian named Mukut Bodra from Jharkhand is also detained with these Germans.
All seven of the foreign citizens, who entered India on a tourist visa, were detained in accordance with Section 14 of the Foreigners Act. They will bear a penalty of $500 each and be deported. If they fail to pay the penalty, they will be arrested. They have been detained as they were indulging in religious preaching activities on tourist visas, as missionary visa is needed for foreigners to take part in such activities.
Talking about the incident, Special DGP of Assam Police GP Singh said, “They were certainly involved in religious activities though I’m not competent to say if they were indulging in conversion or not. They came here on tourist visas. For taking part in religious activities, they needed to take missionary visas. For now, we have detained them, asked them to pay the fine for flouting visa norms, and leave the country, as per the law.” He informed that they participated in religious events at various places like Tinsukia, Margherita, Karbi Anglong, and they were to attend a similar program at Tezpur tomorrow. He said that they violated visa norms as they visited on tourist visas, whereas preachers need to obtain Missionary (M) visas, and also need to register themselves with the local administration.
Reportedly, the group had delivered religious speeches in several districts in Assam including Tinsukia and Karbi Anglong, and halted in Golaghat. They were going to visit other places too, but they were detained by police when they were on their way to a resort in Kaziranga from Rangagora. According to police, the seven Germans are currently staying at Kaziranga National Park’s Wild Grass Resort. They were due to go to Tezpur after giving speeches at church-sponsored events in Golaghat and Karbi Anglong districts. The German nationals are in the state since October 21st.
The police further informed that all these areas are dominated by tea garden workers and indigenous tribals. The DGP said that restraining orders have been issued to the Germans asking them not to leave the resort for the time being. If they pay the penalty of $500 each for violation of visa norms and produce proof of obtaining tickets of leaving India, they will be released and arrangements will be made for them to leave the country. However, if they fail to do so, appropriate action will be taken.
It is being reported that the Germans will be shifted to Guwahati and then to Kolkata, from where they will be sent back to Germany on Saturday.
Earlier on October 26, Assam police arrested three persons from Sweden for violating visa norms by indulging in conversion activities. The three Swedish nationals had entered India on a tourist visa, but they were found to be involved in religious preaching activities, following which they were arrested from Naharkatia in the Dibrugarh district in eastern Assam. The arrested Swedish nationals were identified as Hannah Mikaela Bloom, Marcus Arne Henrik Bloom, and Susanna Elisabeth Hakanason.
The three were trying to lure people to convert to Christianity in tea garden areas in the region, and they were arrested while running a proselytization event. They were trying to lure people in the area to Christianity under the pretext of a program titled “Peace and Healing Prayer Festival” scheduled from October 25 to 27. The event was organized at Achabam Ghinai 1 No. playground in Nakarkatia by United Churches Fellowship and Bless Assam Mission Network.
The Swedish nationals were also fined US $500 each and were sent to Stockholm via Qatar on Friday, October 28. They were produced before a court and were found guilty under the Foreigners Act, which directed police to arrange for their deportation. The recently detained German preachers are also likely to go through a similar procedure.
Assam has seen a massive increase in violations of tourist visas by peachers and terrorists in the state. Earlier while busting jihadi modules run by Ansarullah Bangla Team Al-Qaeda Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), it was found that several Bangladeshis had entered India on tourist visas, took jobs in mosques and madarsas, and were working as jihadi sleeper cells.
What is a missionary visa?
Indian law prohibits foreigners with tourist visas from participating in any religious activities, including lectures and gatherings. A missionary visa is one of the 18 different types of visas the Indian government offers to foreigners who want to work as missionaries in India or who want to enter the nation for other religious or humanitarian purposes. Missionary visas are provided for a single entry into India for the maximum amount of time that the Indian government permits.
