Thiruvananthapuram :Owing to travel ban on India arrivals, over 3 lakh expats are stranded home unable to return to their workplaces in Gulf. Those hard-hit are people who flew in before the second wave and have valid return visas. Several among these – mostly from government and semi-government establishments - have started to receive pre-termination memos.
Presently, Qatar and Bahrain are the only Persian countries allowing travelers from India. Travel ban exists in Saudi, UAE, Kuwait and Oman – destinations that account for maximum Malayali employees. To overcome restriction, some find their way to Gulf en route Armenia and Uzbekistan. However, such landing costs significant amount of money.
There are many willing to travel up to Qatar and head to their workplaces from that country. Seeking to profit from the huge rush, airliners have hiked their ticket fares steeply . Qatar tickets priced between Rs 8500 and Rs 10,000 earlier have been raised to Rs 30,000 at one go.
Another problem is 10-day mandatory quarantine in Qatar. This mid-way protocol demands much money for the stay. Also, countries including Saudi’s non-recognition of Covaxin is a setback to many. Those who have reached Saudi Arabia inoculated with Covaxin are not allowed to step outdoors. Although Chief Minister urged for resolving the crisis faced by expats, the Centre’s policy is one of indifference. The Chief Secretary has made written request for respite to expats.
And, despite the problem being one that mpacts lakhs of Malayalis critically, the Deputy Foreign Minister, a Malayali himself, makes no effort to help with the crisis. The Kerala Pravasi Sangham meanwhile demanded for the Foreign Affairs Ministry to delegate a special team to look into the expats' crisis.
