On Tuesday Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’I appeared before the National Assembly’s Committee on security for questioning on Miguna’s woes.
However, the CS who has been accused of defying court orders denied that Miguna was deported as he was not in Kenya despite being in Jomo Kenyatta International Airport which is on the Kenyan Soil.
“Miguna was simply removed from the airside at JKIA and not deported as he was not in Kenya,” Matiangi is quoted telling the house committee. The airside which is usually a sterile ground in the airport is sometimes referred to as no man’s land. Here are more things to know about the airside:
Airside is just the transit area in the airport which is blocked off for use by passengers who have not effectively crossed the border. The area is mostly used on their route to a third destination, for instance, passengers on a stopover awaiting airport transfers to get to their destination in another country.
The no man’s land is also used as a holding area for people being deported from or denied entry into a country. The area also acts as a hold for asylum seekers before their asylum is accepted or denied by the government authorities.
Airside area is usually under no one’s rule as it lies between the country of origin and the country you are in therefore the area is under complete dominion of neither. The law enforcement authorities rarely interfere with the passengers in the area unless the passenger leaves it.