Highlights
- More than 1500 Australians have returned home through these chartered flights from India.
- None of the passengers has tested positive for the Coronavirus.
- More chartered flights are expected to bring back Australians stuck in India
"The procedure to repatriate the Australians stuck in India began two weeks ago", says Sydney-based Mr Jagvinder Singh Virk, one of the people helping facilitate these special flights from India.
India has banned all incoming and outgoing international flights till May 3, 2020.
More than five thousand Australians including permanent residents stranded in India have come together through a Facebook group - Australians Stuck in India and signed up for these special flights.
Over the last two weeks, five flights have brought back at least 1500 people stranded in India to Melbourne and Adelaide where they are being quarantined in hotels arranged by the state governments.
"Priority was given to senior citizens, pregnant women, and families," Mr Virk told SBS Hindi.
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More than 1500 stranded in India return to Australia
SBS Hindi
20/04/202009:44
"Many Australians stuck in India need to come back home. Some of them are facing issues like sickness and some stand to lose their jobs if they are not back here.
"One family had a child with Down Syndrome. Issues like these inspire me to help these people," Mr Virk said.
Mr Virk says he has spoken with Australia's Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack and requested three more chartered flights to bring back more than Australians stuck in India.
"The Government of Western Australia has not permitted the landing of flights, in order to curtail the spread of the Coronavirus. About 450 people are from Brisbane but again flights are not allowed to land there," Mr Virk reveals.
Mr Virk says it has been a huge effort to facilitate domestic travel in India.
"If domestic flights in India are permitted to fly after the relaxing of the lockdown in India, the pressure will reduce considerably", Mr Virk adds.
Each passenger has paid a fare of about $2,220 to return to Australia and all of them, so far, have tested negative for coronavirus, Mr Virk said.
Source: Supplied
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