travel to India

[Wygirl]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? CA

I am an American citizen by birth, my ex-husband is from India but has become an American citizen. We have 2 children under the age of 7. We have joint custody and all reside in California.

My ex has plans to take the children on a visit to Mumbai India over the Christmas holidays. I am very uncomfortable with this plan in light of the Thanksgiving attacks in Mumbai as well as airline threats recently disclosed by the U.S. State Dept.

He is willing to postpone his visit from Christmas to the summer. I am not in favor of either option, a Christmas visit or a summer visit as the terror attacks in India have escalated in Mumbai and all over India in the last few years and show no sign of lessening.

My question is whether anyone knows if there is anything I can do to prevent travel to India with the children? So far, we have an amicable joint custody arrangement. There is no danger of him trying to relocate the children permanently to India, he just wants to take them to see his family. He feels my concerns are unjustified and that India travel is safe.

I don't think India travel is safe for the children and wondered if anyone has had a similar experience in trying to get a judge to block international travel to countries with terrorist activities such as India.

Many thanks for any advice,
Wygirl (worried in CA)

 

[LdiJ]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? CA

I am an American citizen by birth, my ex-husband is from India but has become an American citizen. We have 2 children under the age of 7. We have joint custody and all reside in California.

My ex has plans to take the children on a visit to Mumbai India over the Christmas holidays. I am very uncomfortable with this plan in light of the Thanksgiving attacks in Mumbai as well as airline threats recently disclosed by the U.S. State Dept.

He is willing to postpone his visit from Christmas to the summer. I am not in favor of either option, a Christmas visit or a summer visit as the terror attacks in India have escalated in Mumbai and all over India in the last few years and show no sign of lessening.

My question is whether anyone knows if there is anything I can do to prevent travel to India with the children? So far, we have an amicable joint custody arrangement. There is no danger of him trying to relocate the children permanently to India, he just wants to take them to see his family. He feels my concerns are unjustified and that India travel is safe.

I don't think India travel is safe for the children and wondered if anyone has had a similar experience in trying to get a judge to block international travel to countries with terrorist activities such as India.

Many thanks for any advice,
Wygirl (worried in CA)

He needs your permission to take the children out of the country on vacation. If you hold the passports he would have a hard time going behind your back. If you contact the state department and put a block on the children's passports he would have an even harder time going behind your back.

However, at the same time, you need to be fair as well...and the children have the right to experience all sides of their cultural heritage, and have the right to spend time with all of their extended family.

I agree that a visit at Christmas is probably premature under the circumstances. However, you should not be ruling out a summer visit at this point.

I am sure that there were many non US parents who had serious reservations about allowing their children to visit the US after 9/11. This situation is no different.

 

[stealth2]

I can certainly understand your concerns. We live in the metro-NY area, and did in 2001 as well. My kids' Dad is originally from the UK. Although it was with some fear and trepidation, I took my kids into NYC not long after 9/11 as we had tickets for an event that I'd purchased beforehand. I don't think my ex was too pleased. He took the kids to London several months after the London bombing - I wasn't too thrilled. But... I don't live with what-if's.

Fact is, these days anything can happen anywhere. You can't live your life in anticipation of catastrophe. Your ex is willing to wait until the summer - I'd go with that. If there is another terrorist attack - in Mumbai or the surrounding environs - it can be addressed closer to that time. But your kids are in just as much danger in Cali.

 

[Ohiogal]

He needs your permission to take the children out of the country on vacation. If you hold the passports he would have a hard time going behind your back. If you contact the state department and put a block on the children's passports he would have an even harder time going behind your back.

However, at the same time, you need to be fair as well...and the children have the right to experience all sides of their cultural heritage, and have the right to spend time with all of their extended family.

I agree that a visit at Christmas is probably premature under the circumstances. However, you should not be ruling out a summer visit at this point.

I am sure that there were many non US parents who had serious reservations about allowing their children to visit the US after 9/11. This situation is no different.

It wouldn't be that difficult for him to take her to court to get the COURT's PERMISSION to take the children. She needs to realize that.

 

[JacobJoel]

Correct Again...

Stealth is correct, your children are in just as much danger in California (and some would say, for the US, MORE danger) as they would be anywhere else in the world right now.

My husband is a terrorism expert, his take on the US and terrorism is this: "not IF but WHEN".

Plan to be reasonable and allow your children to experience (as someone else has said) their heritage to the fullness that is available to them.

Your ex is their daddy, i'm sure he isn't wanting to put them in any more harm then you would.

 

[profmum]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? CA

I am an American citizen by birth, my ex-husband is from India but has become an American citizen. We have 2 children under the age of 7. We have joint custody and all reside in California.

ok

My ex has plans to take the children on a visit to Mumbai India over the Christmas holidays. I am very uncomfortable with this plan in light of the Thanksgiving attacks in Mumbai as well as airline threats recently disclosed by the U.S. State Dept.

ok, the State Department does have a warning out to US citizens not to travel to Mumbai right now.

He is willing to postpone his visit from Christmas to the summer.

Good for him

I am not in favor of either option, a Christmas visit or a summer visit as the terror attacks in India have escalated in Mumbai and all over India in the last few years and show no sign of lessening.

And where did 9/11 happen exactly? get over your parochial attitude.

My question is whether anyone knows if there is anything I can do to prevent travel to India with the children? So far, we have an amicable joint custody arrangement. There is no danger of him trying to relocate the children permanently to India, he just wants to take them to see his family. He feels my concerns are unjustified and that India travel is safe.

he is completely correct and as a parent who did get permission from the courts to take our daugther to India every year, he will get it as well. If your relationship is amicable, dont destroy it by being so ignorant about life in other nations.. after all your kids are half East Indian

I don't think India travel is safe for the children and wondered if anyone has had a similar experience in trying to get a judge to block international travel to countries with terrorist activities such as India.

I You are NOT going to be able to prevent this from happening. Understand this is a global war on terror.. and countries, no I mean continents that have been affected by it include the US, Europe and Asia. Africa has internal strife. Australia and the North and South poles are relatively untouched so far.

 

[LdiJ]

It wouldn't be that difficult for him to take her to court to get the COURT's PERMISSION to take the children. She needs to realize that.

Maybe not right now, and certainly not in time for Christmas. However yes, unless things go to heck in a handbasket over there he would eventually get court permission. I don't disagree with that at all.

I don't blame mom for being concerned right now, but she should not be ruling out summer at this point.

 

[Ohiogal]

Maybe not right now, and certainly not in time for Christmas. However yes, unless things go to heck in a handbasket over there he would eventually get court permission. I don't disagree with that at all.

I don't blame mom for being concerned right now, but she should not be ruling out summer at this point.

Oh I definitely was not thinking for Christmas at all.I was looking at next summer.

 

[nextwife]

You do realize that the statistical odds of encountering violence in India (and Mumbai is done with it's terrorist attack) are likely no greater than in Metro NY (which experienced TWO terrorist attacks, WTC twice)?

 

[LdiJ]

You do realize that the statistical odds of encountering violence in India (and Mumbai is done with it's terrorist attack) are likely no greater than in Metro NY (which experienced TWO terrorist attacks, WTC twice)?

I am not sure that you can say that Nexie...This latest incident in Mumbai isn't an isolated one. There have been frequent incidents over the last couple of years...just as there have been frequent issues in London and other places. This latest incident is simply the biggest.

The difference between NYC and other places is the enormity of the incidents. Quite frankly no where in the world can top 9/11, and even the first incident in the WTC was huge.

However, on the average there is little terrorism in the US (but when it happens its BIG) but in other places, including India, smaller acts of terrorism take place far too frequently.

At the same time, that doesn't justify excluding a child from experiencing part of their cultural heritage.

I am not suggesting that this mother could or should be permitted from barring her children from ever visiting India. I am simply pointing out that acts of terrorism take place in India more frequently than they take place in the US....smaller acts, but acts nonetheless.

 

[nextwife]

I am not sure that you can say that Nexie...This latest incident in Mumbai isn't an isolated one. There have been frequent incidents over the last couple of years...just as there have been frequent issues in London and other places. This latest incident is simply the biggest.

The difference between NYC and other places is the enormity of the incidents. Quite frankly no where in the world can top 9/11, and even the first incident in the WTC was huge.

However, on the average there is little terrorism in the US (but when it happens its BIG) but in other places, including India, smaller acts of terrorism take place far too frequently.

At the same time, that doesn't justify excluding a child from experiencing part of their cultural heritage.

I am not suggesting that this mother could or should be permitted from barring her children from ever visiting India. I am simply pointing out that acts of terrorism take place in India more frequently than they take place in the US....smaller acts, but acts nonetheless.

Well, there is ALSO street crime in Metro NY, as there is everywhere.

A terrorist is not needed to be at some risk in any metro area of experiencing violence.

Betcha there is no greater incidence of violence exposure per capita in Mumbai that Metro NY. That if you took a count of every 100 people in Metro NY compared to Mumbai and looked at their odds of experiencing violence, you would not find a statistically greater risk.

 

[LdiJ]

Well, there is ALSO street crime in Metro NY, as there is everywhere.

A terrorist is not needed to be at some risk in any metro area of experiencing violence.

Betcha there is no greater incidence of violence exposure per capita in Mumbai that Metro NY. That if you took a count of every 100 people in Metro NY compared to Mumbai and looked at their odds of experiencing violence, you would not find a statistically greater risk.

Go back and read the news a bit more.

 

[ProSeDadinMD]

The most recent per capita murder rates I could find.

#24 United States: 0.042802 per 1,000 people

#26 India: 0.0344083 per 1,000 people