India has tightened visas for Maldives in what is being seen as retaliation for the GMR fiasco in that country. New Delhi has stopped Maldivians from using their visa-free travel facilities to India for other activities like medical treatment, restricting it only to tourism.
India revised its earlier ` “liberal’’ interpretation of the 1979 bilateral visa agreement with Maldives this month which allowed thousands of Maldivians to use a 90-day visa-on-arrival facility — meant only for tourism — to travel for treatment in Indian hospitals.
The Indian government indulged in Maldivians’ liberal use of the facility. But that will no longer be allowed, said sources. Now, Maldivians will need valid medical visas for treatment in Indian hospitals or face deportation, New Delhi has warned.
Foreign minister Salman Khurshid suggested that a lack of reciprocity by Male had forced India to cut down on its largesse in doling out visas. “We know that people from the Maldives come here for treatment but as far as visas are concerned, we will go strictly by the rules,’’ said Khurshid. While India allowed Maldivians to seek treatment on tourist visas — as it never questioned the purpose of their visit —authorities in Male have admitted that there always was a “mutual understanding’’ that such travelers required medical visa.
Indications are that Maldives is already facing the heat. Calling for its nationals not to depend on any one country for treatment, Male has now approached Sri Lanka saying it wants to extend its healthcare scheme to some of the hospitals in Colombo. Now, Maldivians are queuing up outside the Indian High Commission to seek medical visas which are limited in number. The Maldivian home minister said they would approach Thailand for help in medical treatment for its citizens. According to the Indian government, Maldives’ interpretation of the visa agreement was always different and that until now it was more difficult for Indians to get into Maldives than the other way round. The fact that India workers’ passports are confiscated by their employers is something India has repeatedly taken up with authorities in Male but to no avail.
According to India, Maldives detains and deports about 50 Indian nationals every year.
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