Like in the first phase of the Vande Bharat Mission, Kerala will get preference in the second phase of the evacuation of Indians stranded abroad beginning May 16. As many as 31 flights will fly down to destinations in Kerala.
The Ministry of External Affairs and the Ministry of Civil Aviation have chalked out plans for the second phase to operate about 149 flights from 30 countries. Most of these flights will be from the U.S., Canada and the U.K., apart from Gulf countries such as the UAE and Saudi Arabia. National carrier Air India and its subsidiary Air India Express will operate these flights.
Sources told The Hindu that countries which have not been given preference or left out in the first phase would be included in the second phase. Already the Indian diaspora in European countries such as Germany, France, Spain, Italy and Ireland have been raising demand with the Indian missions abroad to help them reach home.
“However, students and health-care workers from Kerala stranded in the Philippines, Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Ukraine and Georgia have been requesting flights to either Kochi or Thiruvananthapuram,” the source said.
Expiry of visa
Students in the Philippines are facing issues such as expiry of visa in that country. About 200 of them studying for medical courses are waiting to return from Manila. However, students whose visas have expired after January 1, 2020 and those who wish to travel to India by special evacuation flights have to request to the Liaison Officer of their respective educational institutions to contact the Philippine Immigration Office, Quezon City, to extend their visas.
