A total of 14,800 Indian nationals will be repatriated from 12 countries, including the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations, the US, UK, Singapore and Bangladesh on 64 Air India flights in the first phase of repatriation beginning this Thursday.

Since all passengers will have to buy their own tickets and also pay for the mandatory 14-day quarantine upon arrival, sources said the government is not calling it an evacuation. The preferred nomenclature is repatriation. “This is not a government of India sponsored exercise, we are only facilitating their return.”

Air India would charge the passengers on the basis of flight hours which would not exceed Rs 1 lakh per passenger, the government said.

The Centre courted a huge controversy when it decided to charge rail fares from migrant labourers stuck in different parts of the country.

“Air India will operate flights from May 7 to May 13 to bring back 15000 (sic) stranded nationals abroad and private carriers may join the repatriation effort after May 13,” civil aviation minister Hardeep Singh Puri said in a virtual press conference.

In the first week, the maximum number of flights (10) will be sent to the UAE, followed by seven each to the US, UK, Bangladesh and Malaysia.

In keeping with the requirements of social distancing, each flight will have a carrying capacity of only 168 passengers but the aircraft will not travel empty on the onward journey.

Citizens of the destination country, green card holders (in the case of the US), OCI card holders and Indians with one year visa of that country will be allowed to fly in the aircraft subject to permission from that country; again on payment.

In the case of Indians who have registered with Indian missions in the 12 countries, only those with compelling reasons for return will be allowed to travel back.

The compelling reasons include deportation, migrant labourers who have been laid off, those on expiring visas, medical emergencies, pregnant women, tourists and visitors stranded there, death in family, and students whose educational institutions and hostels have shut.

According to sources, many Indians who had registered with the missions for returning had opted out in view of the strict conditions for return. As many as three lakh people had registered with the Gulf missions but “not all want to come under our conditions”.

All passengers will be screened before they are allowed to board the flight. Wherever possible, they will be tested; UAE being a case in point. Of the nine million Indians in the Gulf, 10,000 have tested Covid-positive and 84 have died due to the virus.

Besides, two Indian Navy ships, INS Jalashwa and INS Magar, are already on their way to Male to bring back 1,000 Indians from the Maldives in this phase. Their repatriation will begin on Friday, and they will be taken to Kerala.

Visa curbs

The home ministry on Tuesday announced that the right of multiple entry long term visa granted to OCI card holders and existing visas granted to foreigners would remain suspended as long as international air travel is banned.