{"id":25605,"date":"2020-05-15T09:08:03","date_gmt":"2020-05-15T14:08:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.indianeagle.com\/travelbeats\/?p=25605"},"modified":"2020-05-15T15:11:01","modified_gmt":"2020-05-15T20:11:01","slug":"oci-card-holders-repatriation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.indianeagle.com\/travelbeats\/oci-card-holders-repatriation\/","title":{"rendered":"MEA Writes to Home Ministry Seeking to Allow OCI Card Holders on Special Flights in Next Phases"},"content":{"rendered":"

I am an OCI card holder. Can I travel to India during the Coronavirus pandemic? Is India allowing OCI card holders to travel on inbound repatriation flights?<\/strong> Thousands of weary faces on OCI have been looking forward to the government of India with such queries since the restriction on their travel to India came into effect on March 13 in the aftermath of COVID19. Foreign citizens of Indian origin with or without OCI cards have been kept away from the currently operated emergency flights to India from USA, the UK, the UAE, Singapore, Australia and other countries.<\/p>\n

With the mounting of pressure exerted by authorities representing the OCI community in different parts of the world, however, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has hinted at allowing OCI card holders on repatriation flights \u201cat some stage\u201d of the Vande Bharat Mission. The second phase of the operation of bringing distressed Indians back home will be initiated on May 16 and be continued till May 29. An MEA official said that an immediate change in the operation may not be possible on a short notice.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"OCI

Picture Credit: New York Consulate General of India | Twitter (right picture)<\/p><\/div>\n

Reportedly, MEA has written to the home ministry seeking to lift travel restrictions for certain categories of OCI card holders, as distress calls, queries and requests have steadily been pouring in related to special flights to India<\/strong>. Earlier, Indian government justified the repeated suspension of OCI card holders\u2019 travel to India on grounds of limited healthcare resources available for COVID19 patients in the country. It makes the global OCI community question the value of the lifelong visa-free travel facility granted to them.<\/p>\n

MEA\u2019s latest annual report indicates at the issuance of nearly 35 lakh OCI cards<\/a> over the last decade. <\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Around 2 lakh Indians stuck or stranded abroad have registered for the Vande Bharat Mission flights via Indian consulates and embassies.<\/strong> Among them, students, senior citizens having medical emergency, laid-off professionals and those with \u201ccompelling cases\u201d back home have been singled out for special Air India flights to India<\/a>. In the first phase, some 15000 Indians repatriated to India. In the phase 2, nearly 30000 Indians from 31 countries have been scheduled on 149 special flights to India.<\/p>\n

Just like overseas Indian nationals who are shortlisted for repatriation flights on the basis of \u201ccompelling cases\u201d, OCI card holders and Indian parents of minor foreign citizens on OCI have compelling reasons to travel\/return to India amid the pandemic.<\/strong> Some Indian citizens abroad registered for the Vande Bharat Mission flights and got confirmed, but they stepped back fearing separation from their children who are foreign-born OCI card holders. They have been pleading with GOI to let them travel with their OCI kids.<\/p>\n

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This is the problem everywhere. Please consider OCIs. I am also facing same issue in Canada. https:\/\/t.co\/csq9Kzx0z2<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Giriraj Sahu (@BioGiriraj) May 15, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n