MAPUSA
At a time when world leaders are appealing to countries to offer asylum to Syrian refugees fleeing from ISIS atrocities, a Syrian youth residing at Betim and hailing from the war-torn region of Aleppo-Syria has been given unusual shelter: a police lockup in Goa.
In an irony of sorts, the Syrian has been arrested by Porvorim police on charges of overstaying in the country without a valid visa or other travelling documents.
According to Porvorim police, the Syrian national was arrested for allegedly overstaying in the country after the expiry of his visa.
Mohammed Mussa Alareef (25) was arrested on Tuesday by Porvorim Police under Section 7 (1) (3) of Foreigners Order Act 1948 r/w 14 of Foreigners Order Act 1946.
His visa was found to have been expired on December 22 and he did not possess any other travel documents, police said.
Alareef, who was residing in a flat at Ramnagar in Betim, hails from Aleppo, Syria's largest city and the country's industrial and financial centre, which has witnessed heavy battles between the government and opposition forces, forcing people to flee from persecution in the region.
According to sources, the Syrian national had gone to the Foreign Registration Office to inquire about renewal of his visa. Porvorim Police arrested him after officials at the FRO informed the police.
A local court has remanded Alareef to five days in police custody and Porvorim Police is conducting further inquiry.
When contacted, a senior priest from the Church in Goa reacted sharply to the arrest of the Syrian youth by Porvorim police.
“When the world has opened its doors to Syrian refugees, it pains us to find that our Goa Police has arrest a young boy from Syria for overstaying in the country without a valid visa only for a few days, though he tried to extend the same by showing up at the foreign registration office,” said Fr Victor Ferrao, professor at Rachol Seminary.
“It is surprising that the same police can go soft on others like the Africans, Israelis, Bangladeshis, Nepalis and others who may be overstaying for much longer."
“A country that receives its guest as God, cannot be so harsh to the helpless Syrian youth, especially when his country is plunged into anarchy,” added Fr Ferrao, in a reference to the Sanskrit slogan “Atithi Devo Bhava” (The guest is equivalent to God) of the tourism ministry.
Speaking to The Goan, a police source claimed that lapses in reporting the arrival of a foreign guest had often led to overstaying of foreign nationals, especially in hotels, which fail to comply with the guideline in reporting the stay of a foreign national.
“Similarly, people who let their house on rent to foreign nationals should also make it a point to inform the police,” the source said.
