This archive report was first published on 5 May 2020.
As the world's second-most populous nation grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic, India has embarked on a massive operation to bring back hundreds of thousands of nationals stuck abroad due to coronavirus restrictions.
According to a government statement, repatriation flights will start bringing nationals home from Thursday, with Indian embassies and high commissions preparing lists of 'distressed Indian citizens'.
Evacuees will have to pay for their passage, spend 14 days in quarantine on arrival, and undergo a COVID-19 test after 14 days, with further action taken according to health protocols.
India banned all incoming international flights in late March, leaving vast numbers of workers and students stranded. The operation involves calling up passenger jets and naval ships to bring back nationals from countries such as the United Arab Emirates, the US, Britain, Bangladesh, Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines.
More than 60 flights are being arranged to bring home those stranded in the Gulf, the US, Britain, Bangladesh, Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines, with the flights expected to bring an average of 2,000 people back to various Indian states and territories every day for a week.
So far, some 20,000 Indians in the US have signed up for the evacuations, while thousands more are stranded in other countries, pleading with the government for help.
