1,800 Indians want to ho home
dubai — Several UAE-based Indian residents have expressed their dismay to Khaleej Times following the Indian Supreme Court’s observation on Monday that Indians stranded abroad cannot be flown back during the ongoing lockdown and flight suspensions. Indian missions in the UAE said they had received request from over 1,800 expatriates about going back.
The court said Indian expatriates stranded abroad cannot be flown back immediately and all petitions before the court which sought directions or orders to ‘bring back Indians stranded in various countries’ have been deferred for four weeks.
A bench led by Chief Justice Sharad Arvind Bobde took up matters pertaining to evacuation of Indian citizens stranded abroad amid the Covid19 pandemic. A total of seven petitions seeking directions from the court on the immediate evacuation of Indian nationals from the UK, the US, Iran and Gulf countries were taken up simultaneously.
Bobde said: “Stay where you are. People in other countries cannot be brought back right now.” Live Law reported solicitor-general Tushar Mehta said it was impossible to bring back people to India during the ongoing crisis. “All over the world, people are getting extensions. In my affidavit, I have clearly mentioned that right now it is not possible,” said Mehta.
How many want to return?
According to Vipul, the ConsulGeneral of India to Dubai, formally, a total of 800 Indian nationals have expressed interest to return to their home countries to the consulate via phone calls and e-mails. Furthermore, a company in the UAE has also requested the repatriation of its 1,000 workers, bringing the total available number to 1,800.
“Most of those who have expressed interest are visit and tourist visa holders, jobseekers, individuals with medical conditions, people who have lost their loved ones and people who have been laid off from their jobs. We also have some cases where families are separated, where some members are here and some are in India,” said Vipul.
If emergency evacuations do take place, Vipul said the consulate as well as the airlines organising them will prioritise passengers on a need-basis. “People over a certain age, families, worker groups and people who have medical conditions will be prioritised,” added Vipul.
Vulnerable public must be allowed to go home
Community groups and social workers working to support vulnerable residents in the UAE, including Indians, have said several residents wish to go back to India. Azad Moopen, founder and chairman of Aster DM Healthcare and director of Norka-Roots, the non-resident Keralite welfare body, told Malayalam media: “Since Norka has set up the online help desk, we have received a total of 8,000 distress calls from Keralites in the region.”
KV Shamsudheen, chairman of the Pravasi Bandhu Welfare Trust, said: “The UAE leadership has offered its world-class care to its nationals as well as all residents. However, among the 3.4 million Indians in the UAE, more than 60 per cent are lower-income segment from different states.”