India Advises Citizens To Avoid Travelling To Israel And Iran, Here Is Why
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has issued an advisory asking its citizens not to travel to Iran and Israel.?The MEA advisory was issued on Friday amid fears of an escalation in tensions between the two sides in the highly militarised and volatile region.
Tensions mounting in West Asia?
There have been mounting tensions in West Asia following the attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus. Iran blamed Israel for the strike and there have been media reports from Tel Aviv that the Israeli forces are preparing for any eventualities.
Indians in Iran, Israel advised caution?
The MEA also urged the Indians residing in Iran and Israel to exercise utmost precautions about their safety and restrict their movements to a minimum.
"In view of the prevailing situation in the region, all Indians are advised not to travel to Iran or Israel till further notice," it said.
"All those who are currently residing in Iran or Israel are requested to get in touch with Indian Embassies there and register themselves," the MEA said.
"They are also requested to observe utmost precautions about their safety and restrict their movements to the minimum," it added.
At present, around 4,000 Indians are residing in Iran while the number in Israel is nearly 18,500, according to official estimates.
Setback for Indian workers in Israel?
Following the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza, which also resulted in a Palestinian labour shortage there, many Indians queued up to work in sectors including construction.
There were reports that the Israeli construction industry is looking at recruiting 100,000 Indian workers to replace the 90,000 Palestinians.
However, following the recent developments, Indians will no longer be allowed to go to Israel to work in these sectors. The first batch of 64 Indian workers had left for Israel earlier this month and over 6,000 construction workers from India were to leave for Israel in April and May.
In February this year, Iran had announced a visa-waiver programme for Indians entering the country by air for tourism for a maximum stay of 15 days.
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