Over 50,000 Indians Repatriated from Oman Since May Due to Coronavirus

More than 50,000 Indians living in Oman have been flown home on repatriation and chartered flights in the last three months after the oil-rich Gulf nation was hit by the coronavirus outbreak, a media report said on Monday. Since May, when the cases of coronavirus in Oman started surging, a total of 198 chartered planes were arranged by companies and social organisations in Oman, taking home 35,000 Indian nationals, the Times of Oman reported, citing a statement from the Indian Embassy in Muscat.

Additionally, the Vande Bharat repatriation mission organised by the Government of India has seen another 17,000 Indians fly home on 97 flights, the statement said. Anuj Swarup, the Second Secretary at Indian Embassy in Oman, said the Vande Bharat Mission from Oman that started on May 9 has operated till date a total 105 flights, enabling thousands of Indian nationals to return to India, according to the Gulf News, a UAE-based newspaper.

Swarup said the Indian



government has arranged Phase 5 of the Vande Bharat Mission in the coming days. "As we float into Phase 5 of Vande Bharat Mission, an absolute 19 flights have been planned for the principal half of August to different Indian states. Flights have been booked according to the enrollments got by the Embassy and we will keep on encouraging travel of Indian nationals," Swarup said. 

Oman, which so far has detailed 79,159 contaminations and announced 422 passings because of the malady, likewise observed its economy hit by the pandemic, causing countless employment misfortunes. In excess of 9,000,000 Indians work and live in the Gulf area. In Oman, they comprise the biggest ostracize network.

There are about 7,70,000 Indians in Oman, of which about 6,55,000 are workers and professionals. Thousands of Indians are working as doctors, engineers, chartered accountants, teachers, lecturers, nurses and other professionals, according to the Indian Embassy in Oman.