Ahmedabad: The Gujarat high court has permitted the partner of a Syrian man, who is LGBTQ+ and living with HIV, to meet once a month in the Joint Interrogation Centre (JIC) after they were arrested by Khambhaliya police in Devbhoomi Dwarka district last Nov.While the Syrian national is placed in JIC in Ahmedabad, his Gujarati partner was granted bail by the court.According to the petition, the 29-year-old Syrian citizen came to India in 2019 for studies at a private university in Rajkot. He came in contact with his Gujarati partner, and they were living together in Khambhaliya. His visa expired in 2023, and he applied for refugee status with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees. He got a primary 30-day refugee card in Jan 2024.It was during a combing operation after the Red Fort blast in New Delhi in Nov 2025 that the Syrian was arrested by Khambhaliya police for overstaying his visa and was booked under the Foreigners Act, 1946, and the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025. His partner was arrested too. While the Syrian national was placed in Ahmedabad’s JIC under the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO), his partner was released on bail.Both of them have petitioned in the HC for quashing of the FIR and for seeking a long-term visa for the Syrian and for direction to the Centre to consider his application for refugee status.During a hearing last month, the petitioners’ advocate submitted that an application for grant of refugee status is pending before the Centre. If the Centre grants refugee status to him, the charges under the Foreigners Act would be read down because the Foreigners Act excludes refugees.It was further submitted that refugee status has been sought because he cannot go back to Syria, where his life would be in danger on account of his sexual orientation and also because he belongs to the Alawite community, which is being persecuted following collapse of the Assad regime in Syria. Following the collapse of the Assad regime, who were Alawites, members of this community are being persecuted in Syria.As the Syrian cannot go back to his family, his Indian partner is his only contact, and he should be allowed to meet him in JIC, it was submitted. On Feb 23, Justice M R Mengdey issued notices to all the authorities concerned and permitted their meeting. “It will be open for the petitioners to meet each other once in a month for a period of half an hour in presence of police inspector, Joint Interrogation Centre,” the HC order read.During a proceeding on Monday before the bench of Justice J L Odedra, the HC was requested to direct the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) to release the Syrian, citing his deteriorating health and that his spine is getting affected. He has severe back pain, and his three fingers have become stiff. Upon the complaint that he was not getting proper medical attention in JIC, Justice Odedra ordered, “Let the concerned medical authority attending to the petitioner shall forward the medical report and the prognosis of his medical condition so as to reach by next adjourned date.” Further hearing is on March 30.
