MUMBAI (Web Desk) – A family of six spent the whole of Wednesday on the streets of Mumbai trying to find accommodation in a hotel, but despite their best efforts, they were turned away by all the places they went to, allegedly because they are Pakistani.
The day of rejections ended with the family spending the night at the Mumbai Central railway station, the NDTV reports.
With great hope, the family has come to Delhi to pray for good health for their ill child, at the famous Haji Ali Dargah. But when they tried to find accommodation, all they got was a firm ‘no’ from all establishments, they said.
There are three women, two men and a 12-year-old child in the family.
The head of the family, Inayat Ali said, “The hotel staff told us we are Pakistanis and they don’t have permission to give us rooms. They also told us that they don’t have Form C available, and we should get it from the police.”
Though the family has a valid visa, the problem in getting accommodation has been the unwillingness of hotel establishments to issue a “Form C” to them, they said.
The law states that those establishments who provide accommodation to foreigners must submit their details in Form C to the registration authorities within 24 hours of them arriving.
According to the Foreigner’s Registration Officers (FRO) officials, it is the hotel’s responsibility to fill and send the Form C for any foreign national staying in their premises.
The family travelled on the Thar Express from Karachi to Jodhpur, and then to Mumbai on Wednesday.
They were finally provided shelter by the Railway Protection Force after the intervention from some media persons on Wednesday night, the family said.
