The Indian missions in the UAE have opened online registration for the expatriates who wish to fly back home after getting stuck in the country amidst the lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.

On Wednesday night, the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi announced the details of data collection through the website of the Indian Consulate in Dubai, the Gulf News reported.

“It is informed that the Embassy of India, Abu Dhabi and the Consulate General of India, Dubai (UAE), have started a database to register Indians wishing to travel back to India under COVID-19 situation. The details can be entered through the website of the Embassy www.indianembassyuae.gov.in or Consulate www.cgidubai.gov.in by following the link ‘Register in Database of Indians to Travel Back to India under COVID-19 situation’,” India in Dubai tweeted on Thursday.

“These can also be entered by following the link www.cgidubai.gov.in/covid_register,” it tweeted.

However, minutes after posting the tweet, the mission deleted it citing “technical issues.” It seemed some users were having trouble accessing the page, the report said.

On Thursday, the Consulate General of India in Dubai reposted the link, warning it may take “some time for the page to load due to high traffic,” the report said.

The Abu Dhabi mission earlier clarified that the purpose of the form is only to collect information to enable the Government of India to plan for the return of Indians from abroad under the present COVID-19 situation, the report added.

This form is to be filled for a single individual at a time. Families need to fill separate forms for each member, it said.

Similarly, for companies, a separate form has to be filled for each employee. It was also clarified that the decision on resumption of passenger flights to India will be taken in due course, the report said.

Tens of thousands of Indian ex-pats are expected to register their details, it said.

On April 10, the government said a decision to bring Indians stranded abroad will be taken after reviewing the COVID-19 situation.

Ministry of External Affairs Additional Secretary Dammu Ravi said, “Some questions have come about Indians abroad. It is a situation where we cannot give a definite answer because the lockdown is still there. We need to assess the situation… It will be the government’s decision on how we manage the return of Indians from other countries.”

Indian expatriate community of approximately 3.42 million is reportedly the largest ethnic community in UAE constituting roughly about 30 percent of the country’s population, as per the International Migrant Stock 2019 released by the Population Division of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), according to the Indian Embassy.

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