Highlights
- Government-assisted return plan with non-scheduled commercial flights
- 660 flights in three phases starting from May 7
- Almost 200,000 will be able to return to India
This will be a three-phased operation with 660 flights and Indian Naval ships on the task.
Priority will be given to elderly and vulnerable people with minimum resources, International students wanting to go back, and people who have lost their jobs.
Melbourne-based Prashant Pandey, who is coordinating with thousands of told SBS Hindi, “It's good news, we have received an online form from Indian High commission so that they can plan and prioritise who needs to go first.”
New Delhi-based senior journalist Pranay Upadhyay told SBS Hindi, Government of India is not starting an evacuation plan for everyone who is overseas.
"It’s a government-assisted return plan with non-scheduled commercial flights," Mr Upadhay explains.
“Almost 660 flights will be scheduled to bring back over two hundred thousand people from almost 70 countries in three phases starting from May 7.”
He says the first phase will begin on May 8 and will evacuate 700 Indians with compelling grounds that are medical and other emergencies, pregnant women, stranded tourists and job lost migrant workers from the middle east via Indian Navy ship.
"People wanting to go back from any country are advised to fill an online form provided by the local Indian mission, as this will be an important factor to make a decision about the number of flights and their timings," Mr Upadhyay said.
Anyone going back to India will be required to quarantine for 14 days after their return and will also have to pay for this stay which will only be partially subsidised.
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