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Indian origin woman shares 12-hour immigration ordeal
The woman accused Russian authorities of declining basic rights like food and water.
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Jeffin T. Kaleekal - Tue, 16, Dec 2025
- 03:54 EST
- 21
Representative image / Pexels
An Indian origin woman has anonymously shared a deeply unsettling experience she underwent at a Russian airport. Describing her harrowing experience, she told netizens that she was detained for over 12 hours before being denied entry into the country.
In the post titled 'My horror experience travelling to Russia', she shared that she had travelled to Russia on a valid Russian e-Visa but was denied entry.
While she understands that Russian authorities have the power to decline entry, what she fails to understand or accept is the treatment she and many other fellow passengers endured before being allowed to return to their own countries.
She noted, "I, along with a few other foreign nationals, was kept in a deportation holding area for nearly 12 hours. During this time, no water or food was provided. Requests for basic necessities were ignored. For several hours, we had no idea when or how we would be allowed to leave."
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She argued that her ordeal went far beyond routine immigration refusals. "Denying someone access to drinking water for such an extended period appears to be a violation of basic human rights standards, including those outlined by the UN," she noted.
She was allowed access to food and water only the Indian Embassy in Russia got involved. Following which, she was allowed to return to India. In her post, she wondered how long the detainment would have lasted had the Indian Embassy not helped her.
Raising further questions on the manner in which she was treated, she added, "There were moments—especially during the first few hours—when I was genuinely afraid for my safety."
She added, "As a woman, my experience with Russian border control was particularly uncomfortable. I won’t go into explicit details here, but I strongly advise women travelers to be extremely cautious. "
She concluded the post by advising Indians not to travel to Russia, "especially if you are an Indian citizen, and especially if you are a woman."
Many Reddit users came in her support and remarked that this is not a one-off incident and Russia is particularly notorious for rejecting Indian travellers. Another user noted that "countries like Russia and China are special cases. Because, they are dictatorships." However, the user continued, "Indian Passport is a suspect for many western countries. They tend to think Indians will go there and settle down as illegal immigrants. Or they hate Indians because Indians are taking away their jobs, whether right or wrong, this is a hate perception."
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