The last repatriation was the seventh batch and with the largest number of returnees, the Indonesian Embassy noted on Tuesday.
The WNI were stranded in several cities in India following a lockdown imposed by the Indian Government since March 24, 2020, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The seventh batch of repatriation was conducted through the Garuda Indonesia flight GA8270 serving the New Delhi-Jakarta-Medan route and was scheduled to transit in Jakarta on Tuesday (Sept 1) at 2:50 a.m. local time and arrived in Medan, North Sumatra, at 10:15 a.m. local time.
Of the 281 Indonesian citizens, 216 were members of the Tabligh congregations attending a tabligh gathering in India, 10 students, six spa therapists, 10 Indonesian citizens undergoing treatment in India, two crew members, six travelers, two badminton coaches, seven professionals, seven holders of Overseas Citizen of India (OCI), one Indonesian citizen married to an Indian citizen, and 14 family members of the Indonesian Embassy in New Delhi.
Apart from New Delhi, some of them came from Odisha, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka.
One of the prerequisites for Indonesian citizens to board this repatriation flight was a negative result in a PCR/swab test for COVID-19 diagnosis from a government-accredited medical laboratory that can obtain permission to conduct the test.
The Indonesian Embassy in New Delhi facilitated the repatriation participants with certificates declaring they had conducted COVID-19 tests and the results were negative, travel certificates to support smooth travel to their respective regions in Indonesia, and providing complete PPE attributes, so as not to contract the virus during the return trip.
Indonesian Ambassador to India Arto Suryodipuro congratulated the Indonesian citizens, as all the processes of returning home were generally running smoothly.
“The Indonesian Embassy in New Delhi will always be at the forefront of protecting all Indonesian citizens, especially those still in India at this time. The Indonesian Embassy in New Delhi specifically lauds the IGIA airport immigration officers for their sound cooperation in smoothing the immigration process for Indonesian citizens participating in repatriation and also other relevant authorities in New Delhi, including the FRRO Delhi and the Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs," the ambassador noted in a statement. Related news: 17 Indonesian members of jamaah tabligh in India still treated
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EDITED BY INE
Translator: Aditya R, Fardah
Editor: Suharto
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