Punjab govt facilitates return of 825 foreign nationals stranded due to lockdown

The Punjab government has facilitated the return of 825 foreign nationals, including NRIs, stranded in India to their respective countries between March 31 till April, amid the lockdown.

This comes in line with the Central government's Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for making transit arrangements for foreign national stranded in India.

DGP Dinkar Gupta said that a Committee of senior police officers comprising of ADGP (Law & Order) Ishwar Singh and AIG/Cyber Crime Inderbir Singh has been involved in the facilitation the return of foreign nationals, stranded in Punjab, back to their respective countries.

"In many cases, such facilitation and coordination has had to be carried out at the seniormost levels with the MEA to get the necessary approvals in time for the scheduled flights," read the release.

"Giving the break-up regarding evacuation of foreign nationals from Punjab, Gupta said these included 28 from Finland, 86 from Denmark, 43 from Sweden, 50 from Norway, 14 from Latvia, 6 citizens from Japan and two citizens each from Russia, Slovenia, Czech Republic and Belarus and one from Uzbekistan. In addition, 170 citizens of Canada and 273 of USA were also facilitated for evacuation from the state. Next in line are British nationals for which the British government is arranging repatriation flights from Amritsar/Chandigarh," it said.

Apart from these, 15 citizens from South Korea, 33 from Malaysia, 17 from Spain, 7 from Switzerland, 4 each from Taiwan and Mexico, 9 from Netherlands and 57 from Singapore were also safely sent back to their countries.

All foreign nationals were screened for COVID-19 symptoms and only those who are asymptomatic for COVID-19 were being allowed to leave the state.

In the case of symptomatic persons, the future course of treatment is followed, as per the standard health protocols, the release said.

Domestic and international flights were suspended last month after the lockdown was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in order to contain the spread of novel coronavirus.