UAE offers to repatriate stranded Indians
- 11 Apr 2020
Gulf Today, Staff Reporter
The UAE has offered to fly out stranded Indians and citizens of other countries, who wish to be repatriated, if they test negative for COVID-19, the UAE’s Ambassador to India, Dr Ahmed Abdul Rahman Al Banna, said.
People stranded in Dubai who decide to leave to return to their home countries receive a special sticker on their passports.
The General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai (GDRFA) launched a special farewell sticker for visitors to the UAE who decide to leave the country for their home countries through Dubai International Airport.
The poster bears the phrase "Have a safe flight... we’ll meet again…” which carries feelings of goodwill to visitors and residents of the UAE.
The immigration officials at Dubai Airport will also place stickers with the message, “Goodbye… We’ll meet soon’ on the passports of people stranded due to coronavirus flight suspensions.
Meanwhile, the Indian Consulate in Dubai assisted a group of 15 Indian workers who are stranded in Ajman without employment. The Consulate provided them with food provisions through Indian Association, Ajman.
The Consulate said, “We continue our work of assisting Indian nationals in this difficult time both directly and through the community. Today we sent food provisions to a group of 200 workers in Al Quoz, thanks to the generous support of a prominent community member.
“Food items were also arranged for some individuals and families in Deira, Bur Dubai and Hor al Anz.”
In India, a Congress lawmaker, MK Raghavan, moved the Supreme Court (SC) seeking the evacuation of all Indian workers stranded in the Gulf due to coronavirus (COVID-19).
“My plea is that the authorities should send a medical team first and help local authorities to examine them,” he told Gulf Today.
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“The expatriates are ready to arrange chartered flights. The only thing you need to do is to grant permission to operate them as you did in the case of Europeans.”
Menawhile, Pakistan’s Special Assistant to Prime Minister on National Security Division and Strategic Policy Planning Dr Moeed Yousuf said that that the government will be bringing back as many as 2,000 stranded Pakistanis beginning this week.
Yousuf told the media that around 2,000 stranded Pakistanis would be brought back through PIA and other airlines to be operated from Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Faisalabad and Multan airports. He said the government would bring back a batch of 2,000 overseas Pakistanis from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman, Algeria and Thailand.