This Indian woman's tale of harassment at Georgia airport will make you want to cancel your travel plans

The Maharashtra-based woman had planned a 15-day-trip to Georgia but it turned into a nightmare. Photo: Facebook/ KhushbuKaushal

If you are a solo woman traveller, there are a million of things you need to be careful about. You make sure (after detailed examination we must add) to choose a city or a country that does not have a reputation of being unsafe for female travellers; and you go through all your travel documents to ensure a pleasant vacation. But, what do you do when despite all your efforts things just don't work out in your favour--like it happened with 32-year-old Khushbu Kaushal, a resident of Kalanagar, Maharashtra.

Little did she know what luck had in store for her when she decided to leave for Georgia on a 15-day-trip. Unfortunately, her 32-hour ordeal will not only make you cringe, but will also persuade you not to visit the Eurasian country in the future.

Recently, Kaushal took to Facebook to share the horror she experienced at the hands of Georgian airport security once she landed in the country. In fact, her experience motivated her to address the post to Archil Dzuliashvili, the Georgian Ambassador to India.

An employee at an advertising agency in India, Kaushal was detained at Tbilisi airport on June 29. Though, she had an approved e-visa, letter from her employer stating that she was on a holiday, her bank statement to prove her financial stability, her hotel bookings to prove her stay in the country, and health and travel insurance--she was sent back to India after being detained at the airport without any explanation. 

"After half an hour of wait, one of the officers took my interview asking me my purpose of the visit, he had a look at all my papers. I was expecting quick approvals. But, the officers asked me to wait which turned out to be a two hours wait in the cold steel uncomfortable chairs of immigration. After three hours of my arrival to Tbilisi, I was not yet given any information or attended to, so I went to ask for my status and was then told that I am being sent back. When I requested for a reason I was shouted at and told to sit in a corner (sic)," she wrote in her post.

And that was only the beginning. Every time Kaushal tried to communicate with the officers about the status of her case, she was yelled at, rebuked, and sent back to her seat without any answers. Really, it's not hard to imagine the plight of a solo traveller, detained in a foreign country without any clue as to what is happening to her and why!

"I was not given any reason of inadmissibility to the country. To top this, some six hours into this ordeal, I was not even offered water to drink, even after constantly begging for the same to the officers. Finally at 12am, seven hours after arrival to the country, I was allowed to buy food and water and asked to sit in a room so that other passengers shouldn't get a look at how people are really treated by your immigration," further wrote.

Finally, after two more hours of facing immense humiliation, Kaushal was escorted to a flight which was supposed to take her home. However, upon boarding the aircraft, she was informed that her passport would be handed to her in Mumbai.

In case, you are wondering why did the airport authorities turn Kaushal away without any reason, then the answer is really going to leave you shocked and angry. Turns out, Kaushal found out that 90% of Indian travellers with e-visa are sent back every day at random.

And why? Well, here's what she had to say about it:"Georgian government had invited Indian farmers to come and cultivate the lands, which Georgian people were not able to work at. This sudden influx of Indians, as invited by the Government, has increased discontent and hatred towards Indians in general, which I guess has resulted in the immigration officers being racists and playing God with regular Indians travel plans."

Really? If that's the reason why Kaushal and others like her are harassed in Georgia? If yes, then it's best to avoid travelling to the country--no matter how beautiful or safe it is.

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