Govt extends visas for stranded foreigners till April 30 for free

Several nations have evacuated or have launched efforts to fly out their nationals

coronavirus testing pti tourists (File) Medical officials check tourists in wake of the deadly coronavirus, at Junagarh fort in Bikaner | PTI

India has extended till April 30 the visas of all those foreign nationals stranded in the country because of international travel restrictions due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

“Regular visa, e-visa or stay stipulations of such foreign nationals who have been stranded in India because of the spread of COVID-19 in many parts of the world and due to consequent travel restrictions imposed by the Indian authorities and whose visas have expired or would be expiring during period from 01.02.2020 (midnight) to 30.04.2020 (midnight) would be extended till midnight of 30.04.2020 on Gratis basis after making online application by the foreigner. Exit of such foreign nationals, if so requested by them during this period, will be granted without levy of overstay penalty,” states a memorandum by the foreigners’ division of the ministry of home affairs.

Thousands of foreign nationals are stranded across India, with the 21-day lockdown restricting movement. France alone has 2,000 tourists in India. The respective countries have been at work, trying to evacuate as many of their nationals as possible. Air India will run special charter flights from various cities like Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata and Thiruvananthapuram to ferry out nationals of Germany and other European countries.

Russia has around 8,000 tourists in India, mainly in Goa and Himachal Pradesh. It is planning an evacuation flight on April 1 from New Delhi to Moscow on an Aeroflot special export flight, SU0571. Israel has already airlifted 1,500 of its nationals and Afghanistan is also taking in batches 2,000 Afghans. The US embassy is anticipating that several special flights will depart to the US from Mumbai and New Delhi this week and has asked its citizens to register online for these flights, which have been coordinated by the US government.

Acting British High Commissioner Jan Thompson reached out to British citizens stranded across India and said, “I know this is an incredibly stressful time and that you are worried and frustrated. We continue to work urgently on a plan to get you home.” Britons stranded in India have complained of being “abandoned” by their government, even as other European nations are making efforts to evacuate their citizens.

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