A view of Kollam port. File.
| Photo Credit: C. Sureshkumar
The Union government has designated the Kollam port in Kerala as an authorised Immigration Check Post (ICP) for entry and exit from India with valid travel documents for all classes of passengers, an order by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said.
The MHA notification was issued under Rule 3 (b) of the Passport (Entry into India) Rules, 1950.
“In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-clause (2) of Clause 2 of the Foreigners Order 1948, the Central Government hereby appoints Foreigners Regional Registration Officer, Trivandrum as the ‘Civil Authority’ for the purposes of the said Order for the Immigration Check Post located at Kollam Seaport in the State of Kerala with effect from 18 June, 2024,” he notification said.
The issue was raised several times in the last Lok Sabha by Kollam Member of Parliament N.K. Premachandran.
The MHA had earlier informed a parliamentary panel that India has 31 authorised seaport ICPs and out of those 10 are under the direct control and management of the Bureau of Immigration, MHA. The remaining ICPs are controlled by State police agencies.
