Indians returning on Navy ships may have to pay up

07/05/2020

“Yes, There will a charge [for passengers on the INS ships], as has been mentioned in the PIB press release,” an official said. “But it will be a reasonable amount.” Another official said the “exact amount has not yet been decided”, but was under discussion at present.

This is the first time such a charge will be levied for naval rescue operations that have in the past brought back thousands of Indians from the war zones in Yemen (2015), Libya (2011), Lebanon (2006) and Kuwait and Iraq during the Gulf War (1990).

“This is not an evacuation effort because this is not a government-sponsored operation,” an MEA official said on Tuesday. “However, this is coordinated by the MEA and our missions worldwide,” the official clarified, adding that returning passengers would also be charged for “mandatory institutional quarantine” facilities and any hospitalisation costs.

The naval operations for repatriation of Indians from the Maldives and the UAE have already begun, with INS Jalashwa and INS Magar headed to the Maldives, while INS Shardul and INS Airavat are heading to the UAE. Indian missions in Male and Dubai/Abu Dhabi have opened up booking counters and online registrations. The ships will ply in addition to 64 aircraft in the first week beginning May 7, which will accommodate 14,800 stranded Indians returning from 12 countries, including the UAE.

The UAE is likely to see the largest repatriation effort thus far, with about 2,00,000 Indians registering to return. Among them are tourists, business travellers, and thousands of expatriate workers and professionals who have been laid off or completed their contracts. The naval operation from the Maldives will see 700-1,000 Indians return in the first round, estimate officials, who said between 3,000-4,000 Indians working and travelling in various atolls have registered to return.