Seven Germans detained in Assam for doing missionary work on tourist visas

GUWAHATI: The Assam Police on Friday detained seven German nationals for violating India’s visa rules by carrying out Christian missionary work in the state on tourist visas instead of entering the country on Missionary (M) visas. The group has been put under a restraining order at a private resort in Kaziranga National Park in Golaghat district, where they have been staying since October 25. Police have also detained an Indian, Mukut Bodra of Jharkhand, who was accompanying the German group.
The Germans have been identified as Asmus Merten, Bloemlisa Aimee, Von Oheimb Cornelia Elisaveth Friederike, Hinrich Andreas, Michael Erich Schaper and Olearius Chrisia Dorothea.
Golaghat SP Ramandeep Kaur said, “We found that they have tourist visas. They cannot carry out any missionary work on tourist visas and we informed them that they have violated the visa rules. They will be deported to their country tomorrow.”
Police said action is also being taken against the local Christian organizations which had invited the Germans without advising them correctly on the right kind of visa required.
According to the police, the seven German nationals attended religious congregations in Tinsukia, Margherita and Karbi Anglong and were scheduled to attend another such event at Tezpur on Saturday. This is the second such incident in the state since Wednesday when three Swedish nationals were detained by the police at Namrup in Dibrugarh district for participating in a religious congregation flouting visa norms in the same way and deported to Sweden on Thursday.
Christian missionaries first arrived in Assam in early 19th century. At present, Christians form about 4% of Assam’s population. Christianity is the third largest religion in the state after Hinduism and Islam.