Coronavirus: Gulf expats urge Karnataka govt for repatriate flights

After several countries started flights from Gulf countries to repatriate their citizens, some of the 8.5 lakh ex-pat population in that region who hails from Karnataka are pressing for the same.

In a memorandum, non-resident Indian Kannada organisations based in the United Arab Emirates have asked the BS Yediyurappa government to petition the Centre and ensure flights for several expats, who have been left jobless after the lockdown, to fly back to India.

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Due to the current situation, Indian expatriates are anxious about their lives as well as their family members. "In this regard, we urge the Indian government to take a lead on this issue and repatriate stranded Indians especially those who are in badly need of medical assistance," the memorandum read.

It noted that several other countries had made arrangements for their citizens to fly back to their countries for free. However, the Indian government has not paid any heed to the concerns of expats in the UAE and other Gulf countries, according to the memorandum.

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Naseer Karaje, a social worker based in Dubai dealing with expats issues, said that several organisations of Karnataka expats have submitted the memorandum. "It is challenging for many ex-pats to make ends meet due to job loss and unpaid leaves," he said, adding that special flights should be arranged for the benefit of senior citizens and pregnant women.

There are also rumours that the Centre will operate flights to Mumbai, Delhi and Kochi. In that case, an airport from Karnataka must also be added to the list, he said.

Airline operators started repatriation flights from April 12 to Indonesia, South Korea, Australia, Iraq, Iran and other countries, said Badruddin Azman, a human resources professional in Dubai. "A large group of the expats are blue-collar workers. While white-collar labour had the option to work from home, others were forced to remain in densely-populated areas where COVID-19 cases are reported, staring at an uncertain future," he said.