Friday 26 June 2020

UAE residents stuck in India await clarity on travel procedures

Though UAE expatriates stranded in India have welcomed the Indian government's decision to begin operations of non-scheduled commercial ...

Though UAE expatriates stranded in India have welcomed the Indian government's decision to begin operations of non-scheduled commercial flights, many have appealed for 'better clarity in the procedures that need to be followed ahead of their travel'.

However, a spokesperson for the Indian diplomatic mission in Dubai told Khaleej Times on Monday that they are awaiting more clarity on these procedure

On Sunday, the Government of India announced that UAE residents who are currently stranded in India can soon return on the special non-scheduled commercial flights that are allowed by the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA).

The SOP, released by the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), provided a clear list of protocols that needs to be followed by travellers, including gaining a clearance letter from the MoCA. Furthermore, the MHA has said only persons with a one-year valid visa will be allowed to travel to the destination countries.

Missions awaiting clarifications from India

Neeraj Agarwal, Consul for Press, Information and Culture at the Consulate-General of India in Dubai, said: "We need to hear from the Government of UAE about their plans for allowing valid residence visa holders back into the country."

He explained: "The non-scheduled flights specified in the MHA SOP refer to specifically chartered flights like the ones in which Indian medics were flown to the UAE, like the ones arranged by Aster DM or VPS Healthcare."

The other category of flights, according to the Consul, are the ones organised for strategic cooperation purposes, flights arranged in cooperation with foreign governments for the evacuation of their citizens to their countries.

"Normal civil aviation for stranded Indians wishing to go abroad has not yet been approved. It depends on the host country as well. It will also take some time for complete resumption. Several clarifications in this matter are yet to be received," said Agarwal.