45,000 desis abroad register to return, number set to rise

NEW DELHI: Around 40,000 Indian nationals abroad have registered with Indian missions across the globe for return to India, official sources here said. While the number may include some duplications, it is only expected to rise significantly in the next few days.
Many of those who have registered are in Gulf countries looking to return, as the number of Indian nationals infected with Covid-19 in the region continues to increase. Close to 25,000 had registered in Dubai alone with the Indian consulate.
“We are trying to remove the duplications but the number is still huge as the registration just opened,’’ said a source, adding that the evacuation was going to be a huge logistical challenge. There are more than 8 million Indians living in the Gulf region.
The foreign ministry said Thursday it was aware of the inconveniences being faced by Indians overseas and that the issue of their evacuation was receiving attention from the government.
“You’d appreciate that flights have remained suspended since the lockdown started. Our missions are making exceptional efforts to provide food and shelter to the stranded Indians. They are also working with local authorities to help those whose visas have expired,’’ said MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava.
As has been reported, apart from using commercial flights, the government is also looking to deploy naval ships and military aircraft for bringing back Indian nationals.
As the first step for evacuation, the Indian missions are looking to create a database for registration of families and individuals who want to return because of the Covid-19 issue. As the Indian consulate in Dubai clarified Thursday, registration alone won’t guarantee a seat in any flight to India once the lockdown ends. The database is first meant to estimate the number of people who want to travel and to what all places. This will then be used to ensure proper planning for receiving Indian nationals here in a way which prevents any further spread of Covid-19 in India.
After looking at the response to the database, the government will then notify conditions for travelling on an aircraft to India. Sources said this may include screening of passengers for the virus before they are allowed to board the flight. ``This can surely be done where the local authorities are willing to provide the facility for testing,’’ said an official.
In the first round of evacuation, which happened before the country was placed under lockdown, the government avoided brining in those infected by Covid-19. While those infected then were mostly in Iran, now Indian nationals carrying the virus are spread over 53 countries. The figure was around 6,300, as first reported by TOI on April 26, at last count with maximum infections in Singapore. The Gulf region together then accounted for close to 3,000 cases.
India's most successful, and dramatic, evacuation so far has been the airlifting of 1,70,000 people from Kuwait in 1990 after the country was invaded by Iraq.