Inform foreigners, OCIs about blacklisting in advance: HC

New Delhi: Deprecating the "disturbing and unreasonable" practice of authorities here of not informing Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card holders or foreigners in advance about they being blacklisted, the Delhi High Court has directed the Centre to ensure such individuals are in intimated in advance that they would be denied entry into the country.

Justice Vibhu Bakhru said many cases were being filed in the high court on account foreigners or OCI card holders not being permitted entry into India when they arrive here and the "disturbing feature" in each was that none of them had any prior intimation that they were blacklisted, despite having a valid visa.

"They (foreigners/OCI card holders) discover that they are not allowed entry into the country only on their arrival at the airport in India. While there may be a good reason for the respondents to deny certain foreigners entry into India, the practice of not informing them of such decision in advance, cannot be countenanced.

"This is not only unreasonable but militates against our value of fairness that is engrafted in the Constitution of India. This practice must be deprecated," the court said.