New Delhi: Over 5.80 lakh Indians have returned from abroad after the government launched the "Vande Bharat" evacuation mission on May 7 in view of the coronavirus pandemic, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday.
External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said more than 97,000 Indians returned through land border checkpoints from Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh out of the total number of returnees.
The first phase of the mission was carried out from May 7 to 15.
The second phase of the evacuation mission was scheduled from May 17 to 22. However, the government had extended it till June 10.
The third phase of the evacuation exercise was scheduled from June 11 to July 2. Currently, the fourth phase of the evacuation mission is going on.
"As on July 8, against a total number of 6,61,352 persons who registered their request with our missions abroad for repatriation to India, over 5,80,000 have returned under this mission," Srivastava said at an online media briefing.
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As per the government's policy for evacuation, Indians having "compelling reasons" to return like pregnant women, elderly people, students and those facing the prospect of deportation were being brought back home.
"The demand of stranded Indians to return is now mainly from the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries, Malaysia and Singapore. Our Missions are proactively working out modalities in repatriating our citizens from remote areas," Srivastava said.
He further said: "Phase four of Vande Bharat Mission is currently underway. Under this phase, 637 international flights have already been scheduled. These flights would service 29 airports in India."
PTI
