When Sudhir Shah (name changed), a media professional, arrived at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA) after a long flight from Europe, all he wanted was a smooth immigration and customs procedure. A jet-lagged Shah wanted to rush home to get some proper rest.
However, after waiting in the queue for some time, an immigration officer asked him to move to a neighbouring counter. But after he was half-way through at the counter, another officer asked all the passengers queuing up there to move to another counter. This infuriated all and they insisted on knowing the reason for the closure of the counter. In her reply, the officer said she had to go the washroom and as there was a staff crunch she had no other option but to ask the passengers to shift to the neighbouring counter.
“It was really frustrating. It caused a lot of inconvenience to the passengers alighting from their international flights,” said Shah.
Mithun Kumar, an Andheri-based software professional and a frequent flyer, shares a similar grievance. “At times the immigration officers are very rude,” he complained.
According to an estimate, there are just 600 immigration staffers at CSIA. The requirement, however, is 800 staffers. Sources from the immigration department said that a request for more staffers has already been sent to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), which handles the department. The department was with the Mumbai police till 2009.
“The situation will worsen in the near future with the start of the domestic season,” said an immigration department insider.
The sources say that such inconveniences have often disappointed foreign travellers and the feedback on several travel forums about this stands as a case in point. The Air Passengers Association of India (APAI) has taken up the matter with the authorities several times.
Deputy Commissioner of police Aswati Dorje, who heads the Bureau of Immigration (Mumbai), did not respond to the call made by dna.
Bad managment
After waiting in the queue for some time, an immigration officer asked the passengers to move to a neighbouring counter. But after they waited there for some time, another officer asked all the passengers queuing up there to move to another counter. This infuriated all and they insisted on knowing the reason for the closure of the counter.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}