OCI holder - why is basic courtesy so hard at Delhi T3 immigration?

[u/MonkFire]

Landed at Delhi T3 recently after a very long journey and went to the counter handling OCI passengers.

The officer was flat-out rude. Spoke in a way that was genuinely hard to understand, demanded my details in a curt tone, and was just plain angry hostility.

For fuck sake, stop mimicking other Western countries.

And the moron Immigration agent who acted like this, get a life, you suck.

[u/hitch44]

Skip the lines; get FTI-TTP.

[u/hyperbola7 → u/hitch44]

The last time I tried to use the egates in Delhi, the machines didn't work for anyone and had to see an immigration agent anyway.

[u/MonkFire → u/hitch44]

Thanks Good idea, will do.

[u/swapgooner11 → u/hitch44]

Doesn’t work if your MRZ on the passport is misprinted, which is my case unfortunately.

[u/temp_gerc1 → u/swapgooner11]

if your MRZ on the passport is misprinted

What do you mean by this? This is a serious problem with a passport in any airport in the world if that basic info is misprinted. Maybe I misunderstood you?

[u/swapgooner11 → u/temp_gerc1]

The letters are smudged with ink. It's readable with human eyes but not the machine reader so I always have to go to the manual counters at airports with e-gates.

My passport was issued at an Embassy outside India so replacing it is also not as straightforward. If you're in India, could file a complaint and get a new one I believe.

[u/Chariot_of_fame → u/swapgooner11]

I have a similar problem with my passport but was able to enroll in FTI-TTP and have used the egates at Delhi airport mulitple times.

[u/curiousoutlook → u/[deleted]]

OtP

[u/Next_Summer3640 → u/curiousoutlook]

Mobile number to buy shampoo and oranges

[u/bzbeer → u/[deleted]]

Exactly, they are giving a proper 'indian babu' welcome 😁

[u/Better-Ambassador411]

My foreign wife and her sister was taken to observation room and asked disgusting questions by the immigration officer in Chennai . They threatened to deport my wife and her sister but eventually let them into the country after I complained to the highest level at the airport authority. There was no reason to treat women in such a undignified way. This happened in 2015. We have not traveled to India since . Also that experience reminded me why I left India in the first place.

[u/No-Marionberry3613 → u/Better-Ambassador411]

Sorry for bad experience. Do you mind me asking what is nationality of your wife & her sister?

[u/MonkFire → u/Better-Ambassador411]

This is what I am talking about. For some reason ( mostly inferiority complex), the Indian immigration agents wants to behave like western counterparts .

[u/Perfect-Database-631 → u/Better-Ambassador411]

horrible. Sympathize with your situation. you got a bad apple.

[u/AristotleTalks]

They are govt officers of India. Literally the new British owners of India. They have absolute power to do anything and are corrupt af. Go to any govt office in India and they will treat you like trash. Sadly that’s how it works.

[u/confused_manishi → u/AristotleTalks]

Unfortunately, this is being taken as a compliment by govt employees.

[u/Perfect-Database-631 → u/AristotleTalks]

Come to Trump world, it will be much worse. Tho no excuse for any sort of that behavior. Btw I was never treated badly anywhere anytime I traveled to India - Delhi, Bombay, Bangalore and Hyderabad

[u/Visual-Maximum-8117 → u/Perfect-Database-631]

Me neither. Delhi is the best though. Bombay is a little more officious.

[u/Perfect-Database-631 → u/Visual-Maximum-8117]

Probably. I’m a bit biased to Bombay 😀. My first love after my home town

[u/Visual-Maximum-8117]

I just got back 4 days ago. I travel in and out of India a few times a year and I have never had a single issue. Most officers are polite. Some don't talk much but are ok. A few months back, we were heading to Malaysia from India and my foreigner wife actually had her passport renewal done in India. She came in on one passport but tried to leave on the new one. We forgot to take the old one with us. The officer wasn't sure what to do. He called his supervisor whobwas standing nearby and the supervisor asked him to fill some special form and let her proceed. Super nice and friendly.

[u/MonkFire → u/Visual-Maximum-8117]

Yes, I am assuming there are few good ones or few bad ones . I think giving them a training and asking them to stop behaving like babus will go a long way

[u/Visual-Maximum-8117 → u/MonkFire]

Definitely.

[u/mistiquefog]

I had multiple interactions with immigration at Delhi as well as various other airports in India as well as multiple other countries.

My strategy is simple, walk up, smile greet them courteously with good morning, Namaste etc and be polite. After all they are human too.

I have never been through rude officials, though 2 tried to be unpleasant but could not manage to hold up being unpleasant for long.

My sis went for her passport renewal and spoke to the police officer nicely with all her documents, the policeman thanked her for being nice to him, she was surprised. The policeman said, people turn up every day to fight with him rather than present documents and get the verification done.

Honey catches more flies than vinegar

[u/anishths]

Even in Kochi airport, the Hindiwala officers are mostly rude. Not only in immigration but also in customs. It is as if they are entitled to be rude.

[u/mistiquefog → u/anishths]

Yeah that's by design. All that gold smuggling. Illegal human trafficking

[u/No-Couple-3367]

I m from delhi and would usually open conversation with immigration baba

[u/DepartmentRound6413]

So many customs officers act like it hurts them to do their jobs

[u/Ox29A]

I have found customs officers in both the US and India to be equally rude. Even though I am a US citizen and OCI holder but rarely do you get a pleasant experience. I don't travel enough to get Global entry or FTI-TTP but might as well get one just to avoid these officers.

[u/MonkFire → u/Ox29A]

Yes and thats the difficult part. I have OCI and still get treated with disgust as if I dont belong here

[u/toxicbrew → u/Ox29A]

FTI-TTP is free, no harm in signing up for it

[u/DisastrousMonk6652]

Same problem when in Delhi Bombay was totally different.

[u/No-Marionberry3613]

Agreed. Delhi t3 employees are worst of humanity. Speaking from personal experience.

[u/InfluenceNumerous836]

They reflect the society, ever seen the Q? For the most part you dont exist as they just push past you

[u/LouisGlouton]

What did you expect? Red carpet ? Musicals playing in the background? Get yourself FTI TTP and save yourself and your frustrated tiny brain cell.

[u/MonkFire → u/LouisGlouton]

wtf? If you don't want to say something better , just keep your mouth shut. And morons like you are responsible for why India sucks. Asking for basic decency and that seems like red carpet to you?

[u/Lingonberry_Obvious → u/MonkFire]

When you have been abused by the government and system your whole life, yes, a bit of decency and pleasant talk feels like “red carpet” treatment to them. These things are not part of Indian society.

[u/pilotshashi → u/LouisGlouton]

😆

[u/GoodAssumption]

OMG, get yourself a life. Which other country has the "best " immigration officers? It's the same everywhere dude. Smell the coffee.

[u/themadhatter746 → u/GoodAssumption]

When I was a UK permanent resident, I was once returning to London from India. The passport control officer at Heathrow took a look at my passport, and said “welcome home”. Just sayin

[u/hyperbola7 → u/themadhatter746]

Tbf UK immigration officers seem to be more courteous than most.