Lok Sabha Question No. 3398 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-12-17
Subject: Safety and Security of NRIs and PIOs
Ministry: EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: Umesh G. Jadhav, D. M. Kathir Anand, Sanganna Amarappa Karadi, Dr. T. Sumathy (a) Thamizhachi Thangapandian, Annasaheb Shankar Jolle, Prathap Simha, L.S. Tejasvi Surya

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3398 TO BE ANSWERED ON 17.12.2021

## SAFETY AND SECURITY OF NRIS AND PIOS

## 3398. DR. UMESH G. JADHAV:

SHRI D.M. KATHIR ANAND:

SHRI SANGANNA AMARAPPA:

DR. T . SUMATHY (a) THAMIZHACHI THANGAPANDIAN:

SHRI ANNASAHEB SHANKAR JOLLE:

SHRI PRATHAP SIMHA:

SHRI L.S. TEJASVI SURYA:

Will the Minister of External Affairs be pleased to state:

- (a) the total number of Indian NRIs and PIOs living in foreign countries between 31st January, 2020 to 18 th   March, 2020 and January 2021 to March 2021;
- (b) the total number of Indians returning from abroad including NRIs, PIOs as well as those Indian citizens visiting on tourist visas during the said period, country-wise;
- (c) whether the Government has any proposal to impose 15 day Mandatory quarantine period for all international passengers visiting India particularly from China, Europe, USA and Canada; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (e) the steps taken by the Government to ensure safety and security of the Indians living in China, Hongkong, Singapore, Malaysia,   UAE,   Dubai,   Middle   East,   European   and   South American countries, USA and Canada?

ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS [SHRI V. MURALEEDHARAN]

- (a) Total number of NRIs and PIOs is estimated at 1.35 crore and 1.87 crore respectively.
- (b) The details of the Indian data sought are as given below;

| (i)   | Total number of Indians arrived from abroad during the period from 31.01.2020 to 18.03.2020. 27, 10,318   |
|-------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| (ii)  | The number of Indians arrived from abroad during the period from 01.01.2021 to 31.03.2021. 20, 39,464     |

| (iii)   | Number of Indians departed abroad for tourism purpose for the period from 31.01.2020 to 18.03.2020 5, 36,038   |
|---------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| (iv)    | Number of Indians departed abroad for tourism purpose for the period from 01.01.2021 to 31.03.2021 3, 93,374   |

Details of Indian citizens travelling abroad on tourist visa during the said period is placed at annexure-1.

(c) & (d) The guidelines for International Arrivals are decided by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare keeping in view health protocols, the pandemic   situation   and   international   practices.   These   guidelines   are regularly updated with a view to responding to the evolving pandemic situation.   The   present   guidelines   were   issued   on   30   November   2021 keeping the Omicron variant in view.

(e) The Government accords the highest priority to the safety, security and well-being of Indian citizens abroad. Our Missions and Posts abroad remain vigilant and closely monitor and actively follow up any grievances and   complaints   of   Indians   with   the   authorities   concerned   in   foreign countries. The on-line MADAD portal also enables all Indian nationals and their family members to register their consular grievances on-line and track their redressal. In order to provide the required support services to persons desirous of going abroad for employment purposes, the Ministry of External Affairs, has setup Pravasi Bharatiya Sahayta Kendras (PBSK) in Riyadh,   Jeddah,   Dubai   and   Kuala   Lumpur.   Through   PBSK,   Indian expatriates   can   seek   required   guidance/assistance   on   issues   of concerns/problem areas. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Indian Missions and Posts have assisted more than 1.66 Lakh Indians with funds from the Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF).

***

## ANNEXURE-1

| INDIANS DEPARTED TO VARIOUS DESTINATION ../PERIOD--   |   DESTINATION COUNTRIES PERIOD : 31.01.2020 TO 18.03.2020 | ON TOURISM PERIOD : 01.01.2021 TO 31.03.2021   |
|-------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------|
| AFGHANISTAN                                           |                                                        46 | 32                                             |
| ALAND ISLANDS                                         |                                                         1 | 1                                              |
| ALBANIA                                               |                                                         7 |                                                |
| ALGERIA                                               |                                                        16 | 2                                              |
| ANDORRA                                               |                                                         3 | 0                                              |
| ANGOLA                                                |                                                        41 | 181                                            |
| ANTARTICA                                             |                                                         2 | 0                                              |
| ANTIGUA AND BARBADOS                                  |                                                         2 |                                                |
| ARGENTINA                                             |                                                       101 | 5                                              |
| ARMENIA                                               |                                                        88 | 22                                             |
| ARUBA                                                 |                                                         2 | 0                                              |
| AUSTRALIA                                             |                                                     12139 | 34                                             |
| AUSTRIA                                               |                                                       354 | 4                                              |
| AZERBAIJAN                                            |                                                      4316 | 5                                              |
| BAHAMAS                                               |                                                        74 | 37                                             |
| BAHRAIN                                               |                                                       831 | 646                                            |
| BANGLADESH                                            |                                                     48404 | 209                                            |
| BARBADOS                                              |                                                        56 | 2                                              |
| BELARUS                                               |                                                        10 | 2                                              |
| BELGIUM                                               |                                                       174 | 0                                              |
| BELIZE                                                |                                                         9 | 1                                              |
| BENIN                                                 |                                                        22 | 30                                             |
| BERMUDA                                               |                                                         8 | 3                                              |
| BHUTAN                                                |                                                      2703 | 7                                              |
| BOLIVIA                                               |                                                         6 | 0                                              |
| BOTSWANA                                              |                                                        31 | 21                                             |
| BRAZIL                                                |                                                       183 | 87                                             |
| BRUNEI                                                |                                                        44 | 1                                              |
| BULGARIA                                              |                                                        33 | 0                                              |
| BURKINA FASO                                          |                                                         5 | 0                                              |
| BURUNDI                                               |                                                        10 | 1                                              |
| CAMBODIA                                              |                                                       906 | 2                                              |
| CAMEROON                                              |                                                        13 | 16                                             |
| CANADA                                                |                                                      1128 | 224                                            |
| CAPE VERDE ISLANDS                                    |                                                         1 | 0                                              |
| CAYMAN ISLANDS                                        |                                                         6 | 0                                              |
| CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC                              |                                                         2 | 3                                              |
| CHAD                                                  |                                                         3 | 0                                              |
| CHILE                                                 |                                                        18 | 1                                              |
| CHINA                                                 |                                                        33 | 0                                              |
| COCOS (KEELING) ISLANDS                               |                                                         1 | 0                                              |
| COG(CONGO)                                            |                                                        97 | 0                                              |
| COLOMBIA                                              |                                                        37 | 0                                              |
| COMOROS                                               |                                                         4 | 0                                              |

| CONGO (DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF)      | 13     | 0    |
|-------------------------------------|--------|------|
| COSTA RICA                          | 8      | 0    |
| CUBA                                | 3      | 0    |
| CYPRUS                              | 43     | 0    |
| CZECH                               | 308    | 0    |
| DENMARK                             | 161    | 0    |
| DJIBOUTI                            | 8      | 0    |
| DOMINICA                            | 1      | 0    |
| DOMINICAN REPUBLIC                  | 1      | 0    |
| EAST TIMOR (DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF) | 19     | 2    |
| ECUADOR                             | 9      | 4    |
| EGYPT                               | 1790   | 145  |
| ERITREA                             | 1      | 0    |
| ESTONIA                             | 20     | 0    |
| ETHIOPIA                            | 259    | 165  |
| FALKLAND ISLANDS (MALVINES)         | 2      | 3    |
| FIJI                                | 103    | 0    |
| FINLAND                             | 648    | 1    |
| FRANCE                              | 2230   | 16   |
| FRANCE METROPOLITAN                 |        | 0    |
| FRENCH POLYNESIA                    | 2      | 0    |
| GABON                               | 37     | 17   |
| GAMBIA                              | 24     | 23   |
| GEORGIA                             | 224    | 6    |
| GERMANY                             | 1297   | 54   |
| GHANA                               | 78     | 85   |
| GREECE                              | 1022   | 2    |
| GUATEMALA                           | 1      | 0    |
| GUINEA                              | 14     | 19   |
| GUINEA BISSAU                       | 1      | 1    |
| GUYANA                              | 0      | 2    |
| HAITI                               | 47     | 13   |
| HEARD AND MCDONALD ISLANDS          | 1      | 0    |
| HONDURAS                            | 4      | 0    |
| HONG KONG                           | 311    | 8    |
| HUNGURY                             | 509    | 17   |
| ICELAND                             | 227    | 6    |
| INDONESIA                           | 27363  | 72   |
| IRAN                                | 125    | 21   |
| IRAQ                                | 32     | 21   |
| IRELAND                             | 118    | 5    |
| ISRAEL                              | 323    | 27   |
| ITALY                               | 1329   | 117  |
| IVORY COST                          | 44     | 67   |
| JAMAICA                             | 39 430 | 13 2 |
| JAPAN JORDAN                        | 603    | S3   |

| KAZAKHSTAN                              | 1589   | 10    |
|-----------------------------------------|--------|-------|
| KENYA                                   | 1300   | 1152  |
| KIRIBATI                                | 6      | 0     |
| KOREA(DPR)                              | 9      | 2     |
| KOREA(REPUBLIC OF)                      | 201    | 12    |
| KUWAIT                                  | 613    | 20    |
| KYRGHYZSTAN                             | 256    | 21    |
| LAOS                                    | 90     | 9     |
| LATVIA                                  | 22     | 1     |
| LEBANON                                 | 24     | 16    |
| LESOTHO                                 | 7      | 0     |
| LIBERIA                                 | 16     | 30    |
| LITHUANIA                               | 8      | 1     |
| LUXEMBOURG                              | 15     | 1     |
| MACAU                                   | 85     | 33    |
| MACEDONIA                               | 1      | 0     |
| MADAGASCAR                              | 84     | 19    |
| MALAWI                                  | 216    | 241   |
| MALAYSIA                                | 26398  | 126   |
| MALDIVES                                | 14703  | 55956 |
| MALI                                    | 43     | 102   |
| MALTA                                   | 33     | 0     |
| MARSHALL ISLANDS                        | 1      | 1     |
| MARTINIQUE                              | 2      | 0     |
| MAURITANIA                              | 81     | 4     |
| MAURITIUS                               | 5152   | 95    |
| MAYOTTE                                 | 2      | 0     |
| MEXICO                                  | 104    | 13    |
| MICRONESIA (FEDERATED STATES OF)        | 2      | 0     |
| MONACO                                  | 10     | 2     |
| MONGOLIA                                | 2      | 0     |
| MONTENEGRO                              | 2      | 0     |
| MONTSERRAT                              | 1      | 0     |
| MOROCCO                                 | 166    | 3     |
| MOZAMBIQUE                              | 36     | 20    |
| MYANMAR                                 | 1694   | 5     |
| NAMIBIA                                 | 66     | 77    |
| NAURU                                   | 4      | 0     |
| NEPAL                                   | 12372  | 5211  |
| NETHERLANDS                             | 1027   | 20    |
| NETHERLANDS ANTILLES                    | 3      | 1     |
| NEW CALEDONIA                           | 25     | 0     |
| NEW ZEALAND                             | 2653   | 10    |
| NICARAGUA                               | 10     | 2     |
| NIGER                                   | 5      | 3     |
| NIGERIA                                 | 78     | 61    |
| NIUE ISLAND                             | 3      | 1     |
| NORFOLK ISLAND NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS | 2 1    | 0 0   |

| NORWAY                                   | 265    | 0    |
|------------------------------------------|--------|------|
| OMAN                                     | 3107   | 6846 |
| PAKISTAN                                 | 8      | 10   |
| PALAU                                    | 1      | 0    |
| PANAMA                                   | 47     | 0    |
| PAPUA NEW GUINEA                         | 2      | 0    |
| PARAGUAY                                 | 3      | 0    |
| PERU                                     | 18     | 0    |
| PHILLIPPINES                             | 1070   | 5    |
| POLAND                                   | 102    | 0    |
| PORTUGAL                                 | 251    | 3    |
| PUERTO RICO                              | 1      | 0    |
| QATAR                                    | 4372   | 444  |
| REPUBLIC OF CHINA TAIWAN                 | 202    | 64   |
| REPUBLIC OF CROATIA                      | 39     | 2    |
| REPUBLIC OF SLOVENIA                     | 3      | 0    |
| RESIDENT OF KOSOVO (UNMIK)               | 1      | 0    |
| REUNION ISLANDS                          | 42     | 0    |
| ROMANIA                                  | 22     | 4    |
| RUSSIAN FEDERATION                       | 1270   | 249  |
| RWANDA                                   | 73     | 43   |
| SAINT CHRISTOPHER AND NEVIS              | 7      | 0    |
| SAINT HELENA                             | 10     | 1    |
| SAINT LUCIA                              | 1      | 0    |
| SAINT VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES         | 0      | 1    |
| SAMOA                                    | 1      | 0    |
| SAUDI ARABIA                             | 1316   | 66   |
| SENEGAL                                  | 46     | 72   |
| SERBIA                                   | 540    | 41   |
| SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO                    | 2      | 1    |
| SEYCHELLES                               | 1337   | 0    |
| SIERRA LEONE                             | 57     | 11   |
| SINGAPORE                                | 19300  | 180  |
| SLOVAK REPUBLIC                          | 4      | 0    |
| SOLOMON ISLANDS                          | 0      | 2    |
| SOMALIA                                  | 7      | 5    |
| SOUTH AFRICA                             | 1494   | 136  |
| SOUTH GEORGIA AND SOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS | 1      | 0    |
| SOUTH SUDAN                              | 4      |      |
| SPAIN                                    | 1239   | 5    |
| SRI LANKA                                | 28620  | 71   |
| SUDAN                                    | 22     | 29   |
| SURINAME                                 | 27     | 1    |
| SWAZILAND                                | 131    | 1    |
| SWEDEN                                   | 218    | 4    |
| SWITZERLAND SYRIA                        | 1344 1 | 8 1  |

| TANZANIA                                 | 521         | 360        |
|------------------------------------------|-------------|------------|
| TAZIKISTAN                               | 28          | 18         |
| THAILAND                                 | 73900       | 85         |
| TIBENTIAN ORIGIN                         | 3           | 0          |
| TOGO                                     | 27          | 26         |
| TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO                      | 24          | 0          |
| TUNISIA                                  | 86          | 10         |
| TURKEY                                   | 4413        | 295        |
| TURKMENISTAN                             | 3           | 2          |
| TURKS AND CAICOS ISL                     | 0           | 1          |
| TUVALU                                   | 0           | 2          |
| UGANDA                                   | 623         | 1216       |
| UK BRITISH DEPENDENT TERRITORIES CITIZEN | 39          | 6          |
| UK BRITISH NATIONAL(OVERSEES)            | 4           | 2          |
| UK BRITISH OVERSEES CITIZEN              | 6           | 1          |
| UK BRITISH PROTECTED PERSON              | 1           | 7          |
| UK BRITISH SUBJECT                       | 15          | 1          |
| UKRAINE                                  | 115         | 98         |
| UNITED ARAB EMIRATES UNITED KINGDOM      | 193589 3293 | 314495 249 |
| UNITED NATIONS ORGANIZATION              | 9           | 2          |
| UNITED NATIONS SPECIALIZED AGENCY        | 19          | 8          |
| UNITED STATES MINOR OUTLYING ISLANDS     | 29          | 1          |
| UNITED STATES OF AMERICA                 | 6369        | 1833       |
| URAGUAY                                  | 21          | 1          |
| UTO                                      | 1           | 0          |
| UZBEKISTAN                               | 1014        | 64         |
| VANUATU                                  | 25          | 3          |
| VATICAN CITY - HOLY SEE                  | 1           | 0          |
| VENEZUELA                                | 6           | 0          |
| VIETNAM                                  | 3964        | 15         |
| VIRGIN ISLANDS (BRITISH)                 | 1           | 0          |
| WALLIS AND FUTUNA ISLANDS                | 3           | 1          |
| YEMEN                                    | 9           | 1          |
| YUGOSLAVIA                               | 1           | 1          |
| ZAMBIA                                   | 125         | 107        |

| ZIMBABWE   |     97 |     17 |
|------------|--------|--------|
| TOTAL      | 536038 | 393374 |

***