The total number of Indians arrived from abroad during the period from January 31, 2020 to March 18, 2020 stood at 20, 39,464, while 5,36,038 Indians departed abroad for tourism purpose during the same period
Answering questions of members of parliament in Lok Sabha regarding safety and security of NRIs and PIOs, V Muraleedharan, Indian Minister of State in the Ministry of External Affairs, said, the total number of NRIs and PIOs is estimated at 1.35 crore (13.5 million) and 1.87 crore (18.7 million) respectively.
The total number of Indians arrived from abroad during the period from January 31, 2020 to March 18, 2020 stood at 20, 39,464, while 5,36,038 Indians departed abroad for tourism purpose during the same period.
After relaxation of Covid-19 travel restrictions, 3, 93,374 Indians departed abroad for tourism purpose between January 1, 2021 and March 31, 2021.
The minister cited above numbers while answering questions raised by MPs who wanted to know the status of Indian nationals during and after the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The Indian Government accords the highest priority to the safety, security and well-being of Indian citizens abroad. Our Missions and Posts abroad remain vigilant and closely monitor and actively follow up any grievances and complaints of Indians with the authorities concerned in foreign countries.”
— V Muraleedharan, MoS Ministry of External Affairs
“The guidelines for international arrivals are decided by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare keeping in view health protocols, the pandemic situation and international practices. These guidelines are regularly updated with a view to responding to the evolving pandemic situation. The present guidelines were issued on November 30, 2021 keeping the Omicron variant in view,” said the minister while answering the lawmakers queries about Government’s quarantine policy for all international passengers visiting India particularly from China, Europe, USA and Canada; and.
“The Indian Government accords the highest priority to the safety, security and well-being of Indian citizens abroad. Our Missions and Posts abroad remain vigilant and closely monitor and actively follow up any grievances and complaints of Indians with the authorities concerned in foreign countries,” he said
According to the minister, the on-line MADAD portal also enables all Indian nationals and their family members to register their consular grievances on-line and track their redressal.
“In order to provide the required support services to persons desirous of going abroad for employment purposes, the Ministry of External Affairs has setup Pravasi Bharatiya Sahayta Kendras (PBSK) in Riyadh, Jeddah, Dubai and Kuala Lumpur. Through PBSK, Indian expatriates can seek required guidance/ assistance on issues of concerns/problem areas. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Indian Missions and Posts have assisted more than 1.66 Lakh Indians with funds from the Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF),” the minister informed.
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