India To Carry Out Phase Two Of ¡®Vande Bharat Mission¡¯ From 16 To 22 May

India will carry out the second phase of its mega evacuation process from 16 to 22 May under which stranded Indians will be brought back from 31 countries in 149 flights, official sources said.

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The government launched the ¡®Vande Bharat Mission¡¯ on 7 May which was designed to bring back home Indians who were stranded in various countries due to coronavirus-related restrictions.

Under phase one of the mission, the government has evacuated a total of 6,527 Indians from the Gulf region as well as countries like the US, and the UK, the Philippines, Bangladesh, Malaysia and the Maldives.

In the second phase of the evacuation mission, the government will bring back the people from Canada, Oman, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Tajikistan, Singapore, the US, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, France, Qatar, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Japan, Kuwait and Italy.

Stranded Indians will also be evacuated from Nepal, Nigeria, Belarus, Armenia, Thailand, Ireland, Germany, Georgia and the UK.

"In the second phase, Air India and Air India Express will operate 149 flights," an airline official said.

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According to last week¡¯s report, a total of around 68,000 Indians found eligible under government¡¯s criteria of having ¡°compelling reasons¡± to be brought back home, registered for evacuation by flight under the ¡®Vande Bharat Mission¡¯, sources said.

As per government¡¯s policy for evacuation, Indians having compelling reasons to return which can be pregnant women, elderly people, students and those facing the prospect of deportation are being brought back home.

In the first phase, the government has planned to bring back around 15,000 people from 12 countries in 64 flights.

India has gone under lockdown since March 25 to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.