Govt of India planning to bring back Indians stranded abroad

The Ministry of External Affairs has prepared an in-depth exit plan presentation for bringing back Indians who stranded abroad after the global lockdown due to Covid-19 pandemic eases.

The presentation was showed to top government officials during a meeting held by Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba on Saturday.

Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla laid out an elaborate plan on how the ministry plans to bring home Indian nationals — with a particular count of who is where and how many flights it might take from each country to various states in India.

As a part of the plan to bring India’s stuck abroad home, it was also suggested that authorities should make sure that they are available to India with Covid-19 negative certificates to assist the administration.

This will help authorities determine whether to send individuals to quarantine camps or recommend them to self-quarantine at home after returning.

The MEA carried out an elaborate exercise to organize the presentation, detailing the decision to bring back the “most compelling cases” until flights resume.

The numbers aren’t confined to Indian nationals, visitors and students, stranded abroad due to the lockdown in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

The list also includes those Indians, who wish to return home due to some compelling “humanitarian” reason.

‘Special flights’ are being planned across airports in various Indian states. However, such flights are being planned on the idea of how convenient it’ll be for state governments to receive and quarantine incoming passengers.

Not just flights, India also will use ‘naval ships’ wherever possible to bring back the Indian nationals.

States have been alerted that this process could begin as soon because the Centre approves the plan. this is often not the first time that the ministry has come up with a plan to repatriate Indians.

Some states, like Kerala, Punjab, Goa, Rajasthan, Telangana and Tamil Nadu with larger overseas communities were in favor of starting repatriations as soon as possible, using protocols that provide the safest entry, quarantine, and residential isolation.

The ministry of external affairs had been pushing for an evacuation plan of Indians since their Covid-19 control room was inundated with distress calls and messages.

Indian missions were asked to arrange lists and prioritize the evacuation of all the Indian nationals as per each flight that might take off from their respective stations.

With a sound strategy and state-level coordination on the way to deal with arrivals, the ministry awaits a go-ahead from the government to place its plan into action.