Around 1900 Indians In Kuwait From Hyderabad Return Home

Around 1900 Indians In Kuwait From Hyderabad Return Home

Faced with an uncertain future, job loss and ‘overstaying’ Indians trying to take advantage of the amnesty offer amid the COVID-19 pandemic situation, thousands of expatriates working in Kuwait return back.

Andhra Pradesh Non-Resident Telugu Society (APNRTS) president Venkat S Medapati said as many as 1,900 Telugu expatriates stranded in Kuwait are being sent back in 11 flights arranged by the Kuwaiti government.

With this, evacuation of all AP migrants who registered themselves under the programme will be completed, Medapati said.

“While one flight arrived in Vijayawada on June 3 with 114 expats, another one landed at Visakhapatnam airport with 117 migrants. All the migrants were taken to their respective district headquarters.”

In the first phase, 2 flights carrying 295 migrants arrived in Vijayawada on May 20 and 21, which, when included, will take the total number of Telugus being brought back to AP to around 2,200.

As per the data, 1.68 lakh illegal expatriates are staying in Kuwait, of whom Indians constitute 42,000. All these Indians have registered for safe exit from Kuwait and are presently housed in the Amnesty Centres run by that country.

Of the 50,000 expatriates registered with the Indian Embassy in Kuwait, at least 17,000 hail from the Telugu speaking Telangana and Andhra Pradesh States. Kuwaiti government had offered amnesty to all ‘illegally’ staying foreigners to leave their country in view of coronavirus.

Direct flights to Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam and Chennai as part of phase 2 of the amnesty programme launched by the government there began on June 3. 

More flights are expected in Vijayawada and Vizag on June 4 and June 10, and Chennai on June 6 and 13. 

As per the data, 1.68 lakh illegal expatriates are staying in Kuwait, of whom Indians constitute 42,000. All these Indians have registered for safe exit from Kuwait and are presently housed in the Amnesty Centres run by that country.

What is the role of APNRTS? 

None of the States except Kerala and AP has a separate association or a society like APNRTS to look after its people staying or working abroad. By and large, we look after the AP people abroad, mainly those in  middle-eastern countries for blue-collar jobs. In some cases, people are taken to middle-eastern countries with fake promises. Once we know about it, we contact the Indian Embassy and try to resolve their issues.

On Thursday, 4th May, Kuwait reported 562 new coronavirus cases in 24 hours, taking to 29,921 its infection tally, the Health Ministry said. The Health Ministry also reported 6 more deaths from COVID-19, taking to 236 the total such fatalities in Kuwait.