German Man Stuck at Delhi Airport
Edgard Ziebat, a 40-year-old German national has been stranded at the Indian airport for 54 days due to the lockdown. Watch our latest video to learn about his story.
Edgard Ziebat, a 40-year-old German man came to the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) in Delhi from Vietnam on March 18th. He had a connecting flight to Istanbul from Delhi airport which got canceled due to the COVID-19 crisis. Then India canceled all international flights from 22nd March 2020 and after 3 days a lockdown was imposed all over India. Because of this announcement, Edgard and many like him were stuck in Indian due to the travel ban and lockdown at the Delhi airport.
One of the officers at the airport said, “Edgard stayed in the transit along with four other stranded passengers from other countries. Embassies of all the other nationals were informed. Other embassies took care of their nationals. However, the German embassy informed the Indian immigration officers that Edgard is a wanted criminal in Germany. German embassy informed that Edgard has many cases against him. He was on foreign land, so they will not be able to take his custody.
Edgard did not get an Indian visa because of a criminal record so he cannot go out of the airport. For 54 days, he is staying in the transit area of the airport. He reads magazines and newspapers, talks to the housekeeping and security staff, talks to his friends and family on the phone and eats at the airport’s fast food outlets. He sleeps anywhere in the transit area, on benches, floors, bed as he is all alone in the transit area. Edgard has told the officials that he can manage his expenses. Indian authorities had tried to send Edgard to Turkey a few days ago on a relief flight. But Turkish authorities refused and said that the flight was for Turkish nationals only.
Airport authorities have given him a recliner, mosquito net, food, and basic essential items. The authorities regularly visit Edgard to check his health. They have found that he has visas to many countries. He is ready to buy a ticket and leave the airport. This will be possible only when the international flights start. But it is not sure when.
