New Delhi: India is launching its biggest ever evacuation exercise in decades deploying a raft of civilian aircraft and naval ships to bring back home thousands of Indians stranded in the Gulf and various other parts of the world.
Over three lakh people in Gulf have registered for evacuation but the government will bring back only those having compelling reasons to return home like medical emergency, expiry of visas and facing the prospect of deportation, government sources said.
According to officials, over 10,000 Indians in the Gulf region were found to have contracted coronavirus while 84 of them have died.
The immediate focus of the multi-agency operation christented ‘Vande Bharat Mission’ will be to bring back Indians from the Gulf, countries in the neighbourhood as well as from the US, the UK and Singapore, the sources said.
As thousands of Indians are returning to the country after losing jobs, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) will share a detailed database with states and central ministries for the possible employment of the skilled workers, the sources said.
They said the MEA is coordinating with the States and the Indian missions abroad for smooth implementation of the mega operation, billed as the biggest in decades. It has deputed a number of additional secretaries and Joint Secretaries to coordinate with the States.
The Indian Navy has already began its mission titled ‘Operation Samudra Setu’ as a part of the national effort to repatriate Indian citizens from overseas. Indian Naval Ships Jalashwa and Magar are presently enroute to the port of Male to evacuate Indians from Maldives.
According to estimates, around 1.4 crore Indians are staying in various parts of the world and a sizeable number of them want to return home.
The Union government will facilitate the return of Indians stranded abroad and the process will begin from 7 May in a phased manner. In a statement, the Home Ministry said only asymptomatic people would be allowed to travel and it would be arranged by aircraft and naval ships, and the facility will be available on a payment basis.
After their arrival in India, medical examination will be conducted on everyone and they will be subsequently put under quarantine for 14 days, either in a hospital or in an institutional facility, the Ministry said.
“The government of India will be facilitating the return of Indian nationals stranded abroad on compelling grounds in a phased manner. The travel would begin from 7 May,” it said.
The government has prepared the standard operating protocol (SOP), and the Indian embassies and high commissions are preparing a list of distressed citizens, according to the Ministry. “This facility would be made available on payment-basis. Non-scheduled commercial flights would be arranged for air travel,’ it said. Medical screening of passengers will be done before taking the flight and only asymptomatic passengers will be allowed to travel. During the journey, they will have to follow the protocols, such as the health protocols issued by the Health Ministry and the Civil Aviation Ministry, it said. ‘On reaching the destination, everyone would have to register on the Arogya Setu app,” the Home Ministry said.
“Everyone would be medically screened. After scrutiny, they would be quarantined for 14 days, either in a hospital or in an institutional quarantine on payment-basis, by the concerned state government,” it said.
COVID-19 tests will be done after 14 days and further action would be taken according to health protocols, the statement said. The Ministries of External Affairs and Civil Aviation will soon share detailed information about it through their websites, it said.
“The State governments are being advised to make arrangements, including for testing, quarantine and onward movement of the returning Indians in their respective states,” the Ministry said. India banned arrival of international flights beginning 23 March.
The 21-day lockdown was first announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 24 March in a bid to combat the the novel coronavirus pandemic. It was first extended till 3 May and then again till 17 May.