Kerala to open registration for expats who want to fly back

Varadarjan said the registration would help the government to assess the numbers and identify those who want to go back abroad

With countries across the world easing lockdown restrictions, expatriates who reached Kerala before the nationwide lockdown are now looking to fly back to join their jobs overseas. To facilitate their return abroad, the Kerala government would soon launch a registration system.

K Varadarajan, Vice-chairman, State department for non-resident Keralites Affairs (NORKA ROOTS), said the agency would launch a registration system for those who want to go back. “We are getting a lot of queries and requests from many expats who were trapped due to the lockdown. They have valid job visas. Many are getting calls from their employers to join back to duty. Hence, we have decided to launch a registration system,” he said.

Last month, NORKA ROOTS opened a registration portal for those stranded abroad after the Centre announced the lockdown to curb the spread of Covid-19. The move had received a huge response, with as many as 4 lakh registrations.

Varadarjan said the registration would help the government to assess the numbers and identify those who want to go back abroad. “There are people waiting to go back to many nations such as the US, UK and UAE. We have to see how they can fly back, clubbing several evacuation flights reaching India from various countries. We have to consider the procedures followed by various countries and take steps to issue mandatory health certificates to those who want to return,’’ he said.