Canadian woman stuck since 2021 in Mauritius after passport withheld

A Canadian woman has reportedly been stuck in Mauritius since 2021 after her passport was withheld, with the Mauritian authorities citing a five-year-old “computer misuse” charge based on a complaint by her former husband. According to The Globe and Mail, the charge was withdrawn in March, yet Canada is still unwilling to return her passport without local authorities’ approval.

Ms Mirpuri surrendered her passport to Canada’s honorary consul in Mauritius in 2021 after local police ordered her to do so, and since then Canada has deferred to the Mauritian authorities, telling her to obtain their permission to recover it. When she sought the travel ban to be lifted after the charge’s withdrawal, the Mauritian Passport and Immigration Office reportedly said her former husband had filed another charge against her several years after their divorce, so the return of the passport was refused.

The case highlights ongoing complications between the two countries over protection and due process, and Ms Mirpuri’s situation remains unresolved. Canada needs to get her home, according to the article.