COVID-19: Indian Embassy to help stranded nationals return to Kuwait
Registration drive launched, country on banned list since August 1
Kuwait City: The Indian Embassy in Kuwait has launched a registration drive to help stranded Indian nationals that are looking to return to Kuwait and have not been able to due to COVID-19 restrictions.
According to the embassy those that are eligible to apply are those who have had their residencies expired during their stay in India, those who have lost their jobs due to non-return, those who have their house belongings in Kuwait, those whose family members are in Kuwait, those who are looking to rejoin their duties, those who have not received their salary dues/indemnities and so on.
The registration drive is set up to simply get an estimate of how many Indians are looking to return to Kuwait. The embassy pointed out that once the information is gathered they will coordinate with the concerned authorities in Kuwait to address the issue.
Those looking to register can apply via the link provided by the embassy.
Stranded abroad
Thousands of Indians have been unable to return to Kuwait for over a year now due to COVID-19 travel restrictions.
Kuwait first closed its airport on March 13, 2020 and did not open it until August 1. Hours after the airport opened, the government announced that passengers arriving in 31 ‘high risk’ countries were barred from traveling directly to Kuwait. India was one the countries on the list.
Between August 1 and December 21, any passengers traveling from India were allowed into Kuwait as long as the quarantined 14 days in a non banned country.
Then on December 21, Kuwait closed its airport, including its land and sea borders, over growing concern of the new COVID strain that was emerging in the United Kingdom and Europe. Two weeks later, the airport was reopened but a quota was implemented dictating that no more than 1,000 passengers can arrive in Kuwait a day. Many passengers found that their flights have been cancelled or delayed.
So far, since February 7, non-Kuwaitis are barred from entering into Kuwait until further notice.