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Coronavirus pandemic
This Week in AsiaHealth & Environment

How India’s coronavirus border closures and lockdown affected Indians travelling overseas

  • Thousands of Indian citizens and residents are stranded overseas after the government closed borders and implemented a strict lockdown
  • The short notice given for these measures meant many people had no time to make alternative plans, and are now separated from their loved ones

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Thousands of Indian citizens and residents were stranded overseas when India announced strict measures to control the spread of Covid-19. Photo: Reuters
Natasha Khullar Relph
When she arrived at the airport in Rome in mid-March, Indian citizen Janice Pariat was told she would no longer be permitted to board her flight home. The Indian government had issued a directive that anyone flying into the country from Italy, among other nations, would have to provide a health certificate saying they were Covid-19 negative.

This was impossible for Pariat, because, as far as she knew, the only way to get tested was if you were showing symptoms.

She tried reaching out to the Indian embassy in Italy only to find that it had ceased all embassy services, except for one emergency hotline number which was no longer functional.
Planes are parked on a runway at the Chhatrapati Shivaji domestic airport in Mumbai, India, during the coronavirus lockdown and travel restrictions. Photo: AP
Planes are parked on a runway at the Chhatrapati Shivaji domestic airport in Mumbai, India, during the coronavirus lockdown and travel restrictions. Photo: AP
As Covid-19 spread around the world, border closures and grounded flights were to be expected as governments took steps to ensure the safety of their citizens. Many countries asked their nationals and residents abroad to return home and kept their borders open for this purpose while others, including the United Kingdom, extended visas for foreigners to ensure they would be legally in the country.

India, however, went a different way. On March 11, it suspended all foreign visas except for diplomatic, official, United Nations/international organisations, employment and project visas. This suspension included the “visa free” entry privileges of Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card holders – people with Indian heritage and foreign passports who continue to have close ties with the country. India does not allow dual citizenship.

Then, in an unprecedented move, India on March 18 closed its borders to its own citizens flying in from Europe, including the UK and Turkey, leaving thousands stranded overseas and unable to return home.

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