Vande Bharat Mission: India launches massive repatriation drive for Indian nationals 1
India has formally launched the largest repatriation programme. The Ministry of External Affairs is focused on rehabilitation of those Indian nationals who have been rendered unemployed. Those NRIs who stand to lose their jobs, visas and have families abroad will be allowed to travel to the countries that the flights would be going to test123
By Geeta Mohan: India has formally launched the largest repatriation programme ‘Vande Bharat Mission’ which not only looks into bringing back Indian nationals but also those NRIs who want to return to their respective countries where they have family, jobs, etc. The Ministry of External Affairs is also focused on rehabilitation of those Indian nationals who have been rendered unemployed.

Speaking on the repatriation exercise, sources told India Today that the Ministry of External Affairs would be sharing database of those skilled workers who would be returning jobless with state governments and the Ministry of Skill Development, to ensure that they are rehabilitated once they complete their quarantine period.

advertisement

"A very large number of people who are returning from the Gulf are actually workers, many of whom have lost their jobs. MEA is going to provide a value-added service to the state governments, which is, to inform the state governments in advance of what their professions were so that as soon as the quarantine is over, their rehabilitation process can begin since many of these are highly skilled workers... This database that MEA would provide will be very very useful for them to get jobs in India... MEA working with the state governments and the ministry of skill development," said a source.

The people who will make the cut to board the flights and ships should have "compelling" reasons to return. MEA has prioritised and made lists keeping in mind students whose colleges or universities and schools shut down because of the situation; people who are employed and then either lost their jobs, finished their visas, completed their terms and had to come back; cases which are linked to health, elderly people, pregnant women, family emergencies, sympathetic cases.

According to various estimates, there could be as many as 1.4 crore people who live abroad approximately, Indian Passport holders, of which a certain number would like to come back.

"We cannot bring back everyone but will bring back those who have a reason to come back those are genuine the need to come back, those with compelling reasons to return. Hopefully, almost all will return and everybody else will be able to come back in the normal course of things", said the source familiar with the process of repatriation.

There are many OCI (Overseas Citizens of India) cardholders in severely-affected countries who want to come to India. But, sources say that as of now "no OCI cardholder would be included in the repatriation process" since this operation is confined specifically to Indian nationals.

Although, in the flights that would be taking off from India, those NRIs who stand to lose their jobs, visas and have families abroad will be allowed to travel to the countries that the flights would be going to.

This comes after many NRIs (Non-Resident Indians) petitioned the Indian government to help them go back to countries where they are employed. The Ministry of Home Affairs has come out with ‘Standard Operating Protocols’ for the movement of Indian nationals to and from India.

advertisement

"Indian Nationals, holding six months visas would also be allowed to travel, depending on of course, if the country concerned agrees to accept them. These flights are going out to pick up Indians stranded abroad so people who want to go to those countries, who have residencies in other countries, they have long term visas, they work there, they are contracted there, can register themselves and follow the SOPs laid out," said the source.

While all travel is based on lists being made by Indian missions, travellers will have to pay. Airfares have been fixed after the MEA negotiated flat rates as airfares for each country. Regarding the ships deployed by the Indian Navy, a nominal fee will be charged since most who would be travel by ships would be blue-collared workforce from the Gulf countries and the Maldives.

"The cost of travel, as specified by MoCA (Ministry of Civil Aviation)/DMA (Department of Military Affairs) will be borne by such travellers," read the MHA guidelines issued on Tuesday.

"They will be charged for their return at negotiated a flat rate for the countries concerned. Have a good negotiated very competitive rates. For the Gulf it is approximately 15,500 rupees", said the source.

advertisement

All passengers and crew members would have to go through rigorous medical screening as precautionary measures.

The crew will be in complete PPE (personal protection equipment) and meals will be provided before the flight so that there is no sanitation-related issue.

All passengers will also be provided with PPE so that they are also "protected" during the flight, say sources.

External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar chaired a meeting on Tuesday that involved concerned officers of the MEA. He subsequently held a video conference with the Indian heads of mission from countries that are in the first group of countries from which people would be brought back.

Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla would be holding a meeting via video conference on Wednesday with state chief secretaries for smooth repatriation and rehabilitation of Indian nationals.