Image Source: Deccan Chronicle
Dubai: There are approximately one lakh people from Karnataka who are living in the UAE. Many of them are facing issues of food, medical assistance, job loss and living in the UAE due to financial constraints owing to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Karnataka NRI Forum – UAE has collected the details of those expats who would like to return to Karnataka. Of these, 121 of these expats are pregnant women, 27 are senior citizens, 157 are in urgent medical need, 522 are unemployed, 377 are in the UAE on visit visa, 109 are in the UAE on expired residency visa, 30 are students and 566 others.
On Tuesday, May 5, the Government of India released a list of flight schedules for the repatriation of Indians who are stranded abroad. “…sadly we do not see any flights going from UAE to Karnataka,” the KNRI said in a letter to Union Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers D V Sadananda Gowda, who is also a Kannadiga.
“We, Dubai Anivasi Kannadigaru and KNRI have collected the information of those who are in dire condition and would like to travel immediately. We would like to bring to your attention that in this list there are pregnant women and senior citizens who are in critical conditions and are waiting to travel,” the KNRI wrote, urging the Union Minister to start at least one flight to Mangaluru as the majority are from this coastal city and not from Bengaluru.
Additionally, in order to help these struggling Kannadigas, the KNRI has notified the Government of India and Government of Karnataka several times through letters and conference calls, along with the Kannadiga’s helpline, UAE.
With the help of likeminded businessmen and professionals, the KNRI Forum and Dubai Anivasi Kannadigaru have opened a helpline called “Kannadigas Helpline” through which they have received around 2,500 requests for food, medical, legal and other assistance.
Karnataka gets one flight to ferry expats
Sources at UAE have now confirmed to NewsKarnataka that after many rounds of discussion between the KNRI led by Praveen Shetty and Kannadigas helpline team, the government has agreed to ferry expats from Karantaka to either Mangaluru or Bengaluru and the flight details will be soon announced.
