India repatriates first batch of citizens from SL

170 stranded Indian nationals leave Sri Lanka in a special Air India flight

by Zulfick Farzan 29-05-2020 | 2:58 PM

Colombo (News 1st); 170 Indian Nationals stranded in Sri Lanka were flown out of the country in a special Air India flight and were subject to medical screening and emigration formalities.

This is incidentally the first repatriation flight by India from Sri Lanka under the Vande Bharat Mission.

The Indian High Commission in Colombo recently said the priority is being given to compelling cases in distress including migrant workers who have been laid off, medical emergency, students, and those suffering personal losses.

More flights are expected from Colombo in the next phase while INS Jalashwa of Indian navy will sail from Colombo port carrying around 700 Indian nationals to Tuticorin on Monday.

This will be the first voyage of a navy ship from Sri Lanka, as part of its Samudra Setu mission.

There are around 1,700 Indian nationals registered with Indian High Commission for evacuation due to the COVID crisis and have been waiting for returning home.

Around a hundred of them are tourists who came for holiday for a few days but got stuck due to the stopping of international flights.