India asks Norwegian woman to leave for taking part in anti-CAA stir

Close on the heels of a German student being asked to leave the country for anti-CAA protests, the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO), Kochi, has asked Norwegian national Janne-Mette Johansson, 71, to leave the country immediately.

The FRRO action came after Johansson posted photos of herself taking part in anti-CAA protests on December 23, on Facebook.

The FRRO, which regulates the registration, movement, and stay of foreign nationals in India, told vernacular news outlets in Kerala that Johansson would have to leave immediately.

Foreigners Regional Registration Officer in Kochi  Anoop Krishnan, IPS, told Onmanorama that it was not a deportation. He said Johansson had been asked to leave for taking part in the protest in violation of visa rules.

The officer said she had posted photographs showing her participation in the protest herself. Johansson told The Federal that ‘she cannot speak on the matter.’

Also read: German student at IIT-M asked to leave India for taking part in CAA protests

At 10:45, Johansson wrote on her FB that an officer of the Bureau of Immigration was at her hotel. The post said, “A couple of hours back the Bureau of Immigration showed up at my hotel again. I was told to leave the country at once, or legal actions [sic] would be taken. I asked for an explanation and also something in writing. I was told I would not get anything in writing. The officer from the bureau is not leaving me before he can see that I have a flight ticket. Now pretty soon on my way to the airport. A friend fixing a flight ticket to Dubai and from there catching a flight back home to Sweden.

Sources in Kerala said Johansson had approached the Fort Kochi police and an inspector, apparently unaware of the rules, told her she could take part in the protest.

Johansson, who reached India in October 2019, could have stayed on in India till March 2020.

German student Jakob Lindenthal was also asked to leave India under similar circumstances.

FRRO Anoop Krishnan was unavailable on the phone for comments when The Federal contacted him at 11:58 am.