26 from Myanmar, 168 from UAE – Nepal’s repatriation to begin from Friday


TIA prepares to welcome stranded Nepalis (Image: Sujan Gurung)

With 26 Nepalis from Myanmar and 168 Nepalis from UAE scheduled to arrive in Kathmandu on Friday, Nepal’s repatriation efforts will have formally begun from tomorrow.

Myanmar: 

26 Nepalis who had registered to return home from Myanmar have been asked to report to the airport at 05:30 a.m. Friday morning. A Myanmar Air Force aircraft was scheduled to land in TIA on Friday to repatriate its citizens in Nepal, and the 26 Nepalis will be flown in the same aircraft. As per reports, Nepal government requested the Burmese government to repatriate its citizens – to which they agreed.

The 26 passengers have undergone a PCR test and all of them have tested negative for COVID-19. They will be transferred to a holding facility and undergo a health check-up. Owing to their negative PCR reports, they will be allowed to self-isolate at their respective homes.

UAE: 

A Fly Dubai flight carrying 168 Nepali nationals will also be landing in Kathmandu on Friday – a courtesy of the UAE government. Like the Myanmar flight, arriving passengers will be transferred to different holding centres before being transferred to their respective provinces.

Tomorrow’s arrivals marks Nepal’s first repatriation efforts. As Nepal pushes through one of the longest national lockdowns imposed across the world, several thousand Nepalis stranded abroad were unable to return home. Amidst increasing pressure, the government had announced its intention to start beginning repatriation efforts on 29th May.

Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in communication with embassies/missions abroad is compiling a list of Nepali citizens who wish/need to return home urgently. In its first phase, Nepal will be repatriating 25,000 citizens.