Skip to content 
Search

Latest Stories

Woman declared stateless in India, UK and Uganda, moves court

Ila Popat was born in Uganda in 1955 and came to India as a 10-year-old on her mother’s passport.

Woman declared stateless in India, UK and Uganda, moves court

A 66-year-old woman living in Mumbai has been declared stateless in India, UK and Uganda. Ila Popat has been living in India for 55 years and has driving licence, voter identity card and Aadhar card.

Last month, Popat approached Bombay High Court to issue a passport so that she can travel abroad. She was born in Uganda in 1955 and came to India as a 10-year-old on her mother's passport, reports said.


She got married 10 years later, and now has two children and several grandchildren, all of them Indian citizens.Though she applied thrice for an Indian passport in the past each time the request was rejected citing lack of documents.

"My husband is Indian, my children and grandchildren are Indian. I have every other government document including an Aadhaar (a unique ID issued to all Indian residents), and yet none of it seemed to be enough," she told the BBC.

According to reports, she already missed the weddings of two of her nephews in UK, and will miss another nephew's wedding in Dubai which is weeks before the court date later this month.

In her latest petition, she said that only in 2018-19 she was told by officials to apply for Indian citizenship first before seeking an Indian passport.

Her father was born and raised in Porbandar, Gujarat. In 1952, he left to work in Uganda and a few years later acquired a British passport. Popat was born in Kamuli town in Uganda, seven years before the country's independence from British rule.

In 1966, she left for India with her mother and her younger brother. Her mother's passport stated she was a British Protected Person. In India, her family first lived in Porbandar but moved to Mumbai in 1972.

In 1997, Popat applied for citizenship, but the application was rejected. She then approached the British High Commission in Mumbai. But it said she was not eligible to apply for a British passport since neither her father nor her paternal grandfather were "born, registered or naturalised" in the country or its colonies after 1962.

It also said Popat was likely to be a Ugandan citizen. In 2018, her daughter wrote to the Ugandan High Commission in Delhi for citizenship or passport on the basis of which Popat could apply for an Indian one. The consulate confirmed that she was born in the country but said she had "never been a Ugandan".

"I would ask if I could at least get a travel passport to visit my grandfather in the UK, but I couldn't get one," she was quoted as saying by the BBC.

Her Vadodara-based younger brother holds a British passport like their parents.

In 2019, Indian authorities told Popat that said she had been living in the country without a proper visa or passport and, hence, did not fulfill the conditions under the 1955 Citizenship Act.

This urged her move to the High Court as the last resort.

The Union government's counsel, Advait Sethna, told the court Popat could be granted citizenship only if she submitted her birth certificate or any other requisite document proving her origins and how she came to India.

The counsel also suggested her to approach the embassy in Uganda and get the requisite documents.

More For You

Starmer-Getty

Starmer is facing a Labour backbench revolt over plans to reform special needs support in schools without guaranteeing existing legal rights. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images)

Starmer faces Labour pushback over SEND reform plans

KEIR STARMER is facing a backlash from Labour MPs over plans to reform special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) support, after ministers stopped short of guaranteeing legal rights for parents.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said the government was committed to reforming the current system, which costs £12 billion a year. However, she did not confirm if legally enforceable rights, such as those provided by education, health and care plans (EHCPs), would remain.

Keep ReadingShow less
Heavy rain and thunderstorms hit London

Londoners faced a wet and stormy start to the week

iStock

Heavy rain and thunderstorms hit London before 30°C heatwave

Key points

  • Heavy rain and thunderstorms drench London at the start of the week
  • Temperatures set to rise with highs of 31°C expected by Thursday
  • Heatwave could be declared by Friday if warm conditions persist
  • Night-time temperatures to remain high, increasing discomfort
  • UV and pollen levels forecast to be very high across the south

Thunderstorms soak London before summer heat returns

Londoners faced a wet and stormy start to the week as heavy rain and overnight thunderstorms swept through the capital. Monday morning saw widespread downpours, leaving commuters reaching for umbrellas and Wimbledon ticket hopefuls queuing in ponchos.

The unsettled conditions followed a burst of thunderstorms on Sunday afternoon and continued into the early hours of Monday, prompting caution across the city. The Met Office has not issued a formal weather warning for thunderstorms, but conditions remain unstable.

Keep ReadingShow less
National Trust sets vision to heal
nature and engage more Asians

Lisa Nandy, Steve Reed, René Olivieri and Hilary McGrady at a National Trust event marking its 130th anniversary

National Trust sets vision to heal nature and engage more Asians

THE National Trust, which is seeking to broaden its appeal to British Asians, is marking its 130th anniversary with a renewed commitment to restoring nature and widening access under a 10-year strategy.

Its director-general, Hilary McGrady, also aims to inspire more people to get involved in caring for the country’s natural resources.

Keep ReadingShow less
 7/7 bombings

The King said the public should draw on the 'extraordinary courage and compassion' shown in response to the attacks. (Photo credit: X/@RoyalFamily)

Starmer and King Charles pay tribute on 20th anniversary of 7/7 bombings

PRIME MINISTER Keir Starmer and King Charles on Monday paid tribute to the unity shown in the aftermath of the 7 July bombings in London, as the country marked 20 years since the attacks.

On 7 July 2005, four Islamist extremists carried out suicide bombings at Aldgate Station, Edgware Road, King's Cross and Tavistock Square. The attacks killed 52 people and injured hundreds more.

Keep ReadingShow less
Navroop Singh

Navroop Singh was convicted of five charges including rape and was sentenced on July 4 at Isleworth Crown Court. (Photo credit: Metropolitan Police)

Man jailed for life over rape and attempted rape in west London

A 24-year-old man has been sentenced to life in prison for rape, attempted rape and firearm offences following a Metropolitan Police investigation in west London.

Navroop Singh, of Mellow Lane East, Hayes, was convicted of five charges including rape and was sentenced on Friday, July 4 at Isleworth Crown Court. He must serve a minimum of 14 years.

Keep ReadingShow less