THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Union MoS for External Affairs V Muraleedharan has said expats stranded in Gulf and other countries will be brought back to India only after ensuring the availably of sufficient quarantine centres to accommodate them on arrival.

“Under the current circumstances when the Covid is spreading in the country, bringing expats back to India may push them into bigger problems,” he wrote on his Facebook page.

“I have seen the chief minster dashing a letter to the Prime Minister and Opposition leader making desperate demand for allowing the return of expats.
They can say that…they can blame the Centre and get applauds. But bringing them back without arranging quarantine centres will create big problems and that is why the Centre is not taking any hasty decision on this.

The Modi government will never do any experiment, sacrificing the safety and life of the people in India.

On the other hand, the Modi government is making timely intervention in the issues of Non Resident Indians. The Central government will stand by the expats..” he writes.

To substantiate his statement on the Centre’s timely intervention, Muraleedharan also cites instances of the Central government asking foreign airlines to return the money for NRIs’ cancelled tickets and writing off fee for emergency certificate for Kuwait Indians who want to return under general amnesty scheme.

On Thursday, there were some unconfirmed reports that India was making preparations for bringing back expats stranded in many countries.