A data collection form has been launched by the Indian embassy in the UAE to create an online database of Indians who wish to travel back to India.
Stranded Indian diaspora, visitors and expatriates in the UAE, due to COVID-19 restrictions, can now register their interest to return home on the online portal or via Indian embassy or Dubai Consulate website.
Tens of thousands of Indian citizens are reported to be stranded overseas, with the largest numbers in the UAE and the GCC, when India closed its borders in a lockdown to contain the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
Several thousand Indian citizens including tourists, those on social visit visas, job seekers, unemployed workers, pregnant women, separated families, and aged and elderly persons in the UAE and GCC are desperate to return home.
The form was launched on Wednesday, April 29 by the Indian Embassy in the UAE and the Consulate General of India in Dubai, "pls bear with us if it takes some time for the page to load due to high traffic", it tweeted.
In its press release the Indian mission has clarified that:
- The purpose of this form is only collection of information to enable the Government of India to plan for the return of Indians from abroad
- It does not automatically entitle a seat on a flight to India.
- The decision on resumption of passenger flights to India will be taken in due course
- An announcement in this regard will be made on its website and social media platforms.
- All conditions for travel, to be prescribed later, will need to be followed.
In its tweet, the mission said, "This form is to be filled for a single individual at a time. For families a separate form may be filled for each member. Similarly, for companies, a separate form may be filled for each employee."
The mission said that some mandatory fields in the registration form that must be filled include:
- Passport details – of a valid passport,
- Place of residence- both in India and the UAE,
- Nearest airport in India,
- Compelling reason for traveling bank to India, and
- Status of Covid-19 tests – which they need to have gone through.
"All rules and regulations of the Government of UAE on departure and Government of India on arrival will need to be strictly followed, especially those related to Covid-19," said the tweet.
The mission in response to tweets has added that each person ought to only register once and that future references and queries can be made through the registered passport number.