Lok Sabha Question No. 1677 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-02-11
Subject: Return of Dead Bodies from Abroad
Ministry: EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: Kunwar Danish Ali

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1677 TO BE ANSWERED ON 11.02.2022

## RETURN OF DEAD BODIES FROM ABROAD

## 1677. KUNWAR DANISH ALI:

Will the Minister of External Affairs be pleased to state:

- (a) the number of people of Indian origin who died abroad while working there during the last five years and the current year, year-wise and country-wise;
- (b) whether the process of bringing back their bodies to India is quite complicated;
- (c) if so, whether the Government proposes to simplify the process; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

## [SHRI V. MURALEEDHARAN]

(a) As per the information available with the Ministry, 49,251 Indians have died abroad, including those working there during the last five years and this year. Country-wise detailed list is given at Annexure.

(b) to (d) The process of transportation of mortal remains to India involves various steps, most of which are to be undertaken by the local authorities in the country concerned.  The following are the steps involved in transportation of mortal remains from a foreign country, viz.

-  Medical report / death certificate issued from the hospital concerned;
-  Police report (with English translation, if report is in some other language), in case of accidental or unnatural death;
-  Consent     letter   from   next   of   kin   of   the deceased     for   local cremation/burial/transportation of mortal remains;
-  Clearance   and arrangements   for embalming   of mortal remains from the authorities concerned in the foreign country;
-  Clearance from local immigration/ customs department.

##  Clearance from Indian customs authorities.

These procedures differ somewhat from country to country and therefore there is no fixed time frame for eventual transportation. Government of India attaches high priority to addressing and resolving the issue pertaining to transportation of mortal remains of Indian nationals who die abroad. Our Missions/ Posts liaise with the foreign officials concerned to expedite procedures for the repatriation of mortal remains to India and extend all possible   assistance   to   the   family   of   the   deceased.   Generally,   the transportation of mortal remains is quicker in cases  of natural  deaths in comparison to  the cases  of unnatural deaths, due to local procedures involved in those countries for investigating the cause of death in case of unnatural death.

***

## Annexure to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1677

## RETURN OF DEAD BODIES FROM ABROAD

| S.No.   | Country        |   NUMBER OF INDIANS WHO DIED ABROAD DURING THE LAST FIVE YEARS |   NUMBER OF INDIANS WHO DIED ABROAD DURING THE LAST FIVE YEARS |   NUMBER OF INDIANS WHO DIED ABROAD DURING THE LAST FIVE YEARS |   NUMBER OF INDIANS WHO DIED ABROAD DURING THE LAST FIVE YEARS |   NUMBER OF INDIANS WHO DIED ABROAD DURING THE LAST FIVE YEARS | NUMBER OF INDIANS WHO DIED ABROAD DURING THE LAST FIVE YEARS   |
|---------|----------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|
| S.No.   | Country        |                                                           2017 |                                                           2018 |                                                           2019 |                                                           2020 |                                                           2021 | 2022 (as on 31.01.2022)                                        |
| 1       | Afghanistan    |                                                              2 |                                                              3 |                                                              1 |                                                              8 |                                                              2 | 0                                                              |
| 2       | Algeria        |                                                              6 |                                                              1 |                                                              5 |                                                              6 |                                                              1 | 0                                                              |
| 3       | Angola         |                                                              4 |                                                              9 |                                                              0 |                                                              4 |                                                              3 | 0                                                              |
| 4       | Argentina      |                                                              4 |                                                              0 |                                                              1 |                                                              1 |                                                              3 | 0                                                              |
| 5       | Armenia        |                                                              2 |                                                              6 |                                                              1 |                                                              5 |                                                              5 | 1                                                              |
| 6       | Austria        |                                                             14 |                                                              6 |                                                             18 |                                                             12 |                                                             14 | 0                                                              |
| 7       | Australia      |                                                            103 |                                                            119 |                                                            112 |                                                             88 |                                                             75 | 0                                                              |
| 8       | Azerbaijan     |                                                              0 |                                                              0 |                                                              6 |                                                              3 |                                                              2 | 0                                                              |
| 9       | Bahrain        |                                                            237 |                                                            234 |                                                            211 |                                                            303 |                                                            352 | 20                                                             |
| 10      | Belarus        |                                                              0 |                                                              0 |                                                              1 |                                                              0 |                                                              2 | 0                                                              |
| 11      | Bangladesh     |                                                             30 |                                                             29 |                                                             35 |                                                             29 |                                                             20 | 1                                                              |
| 12      | Belgium        |                                                              8 |                                                             21 |                                                              3 |                                                              2 |                                                             15 | 0                                                              |
| 13      | Bhutan         |                                                              8 |                                                              5 |                                                             14 |                                                             22 |                                                             21 | 2                                                              |
| 14      | Botswana       |                                                              4 |                                                             11 |                                                              8 |                                                              9 |                                                             39 | 2                                                              |
| 15      | Brazil         |                                                              4 |                                                              1 |                                                              0 |                                                              2 |                                                              3 | 1                                                              |
| 16      | Brunei         |                                                              8 |                                                             12 |                                                             15 |                                                             11 |                                                              8 | 1                                                              |
| 17      | Bulgaria       |                                                              2 |                                                              0 |                                                              0 |                                                              0 |                                                              2 | 0                                                              |
| 18      | Burkina Faso   |                                                              0 |                                                              0 |                                                              0 |                                                              2 |                                                              1 | 0                                                              |
| 19      | Cambodia       |                                                              1 |                                                              2 |                                                              8 |                                                              5 |                                                             11 | 0                                                              |
| 20      | Cameroon       |                                                              0 |                                                              0 |                                                              0 |                                                              5 |                                                              8 | 1                                                              |
| 21      | Canada         |                                                            140 |                                                            142 |                                                            239 |                                                            129 |                                                            149 | 0                                                              |
| 22      | Chile          |                                                              1 |                                                              1 |                                                              1 |                                                              0 |                                                              4 | 0                                                              |
| 23      | China          |                                                             48 |                                                             52 |                                                             57 |                                                             34 |                                                             33 | 0                                                              |
| 24      | Congo          |                                                             11 |                                                             17 |                                                             12 |                                                             22 |                                                             23 | 0                                                              |
| 25      | Colombia       |                                                              4 |                                                              2 |                                                              1 |                                                              2 |                                                              0 | 0                                                              |
| 26      | Cote D' Ivoire |                                                              5 |                                                             11 |                                                              8 |                                                             12 |                                                              5 | 2                                                              |
| 27      | Croatia        |                                                              0 |                                                              0 |                                                              2 |                                                              1 |                                                              3 | 0                                                              |
| 28      | Cuba           |                                                              0 |                                                              0 |                                                              1 |                                                              2 |                                                              1 | 1                                                              |
| 29      | Cyprus         |                                                              0 |                                                              0 |                                                              2 |                                                              6 |                                                             10 | 3                                                              |
| 30      | Czech Republic |                                                              2 |                                                              2 |                                                              1 |                                                              1 |                                                              4 | 0                                                              |
| 31      | Denmark        |                                                              8 |                                                              2 |                                                              1 |                                                              5 |                                                              5 | 0                                                              |

|   32 | Djibouti              |   0 |   0 |   0 |    1 |    0 |   0 |
|------|-----------------------|-----|-----|-----|------|------|-----|
|   33 | Egypt                 |   9 |  16 |  10 |   10 |   16 |   0 |
|   34 | Equatorial Guinea     |   0 |   0 |   0 |    1 |    1 |   0 |
|   35 | Eritrea               |   0 |   0 |   0 |    0 |    1 |   0 |
|   36 | Ethiopia              |   9 |  10 |  18 |    4 |   11 |   0 |
|   37 | Fiji                  |   3 |   2 |   0 |    1 |    0 |   0 |
|   38 | Finland               |   4 |   2 |   2 |    6 |    3 |   1 |
|   39 | France                |  15 |  17 |  23 |   16 |   24 |   1 |
|   40 | Germany               |  57 |  74 |  64 |   83 |  103 |   0 |
|   41 | Ghana                 |  13 |  21 |  14 |   19 |   22 |   1 |
|   42 | Greece                |  17 |  22 |  29 |   34 |   41 |   4 |
|   43 | Guatemala             |   0 |   0 |   0 |    0 |    1 |   0 |
|   44 | Guinea                |   0 |   0 |   0 |    3 |    6 |   1 |
|   45 | Guyana                |   1 |   1 |   0 |    0 |    0 |   0 |
|   46 | Hungary               |   4 |   4 |   2 |    3 |    2 |   0 |
|   47 | Iceland               |   0 |   0 |   0 |    0 |    0 |   0 |
|   48 | Indonesia             |  25 |  54 |  36 |   23 |   34 |   0 |
|   49 | Iran                  |  11 |  11 |  11 |    7 |   14 |   0 |
|   50 | Iraq                  |   2 |   4 |  12 |   26 |   25 |   0 |
|   51 | Ireland               |   4 |  10 |  11 |    8 |    5 |   0 |
|   52 | Israel                |   6 |   8 |   8 |    5 |    6 |   0 |
|   53 | Italy                 | 142 | 194 | 239 |  216 |  304 |   0 |
|   54 | Jamaica               |   5 |   4 |   3 |    1 |    2 |   0 |
|   55 | Japan                 |  15 |  23 |  11 |   24 |   21 |   1 |
|   56 | Jordan                |  16 |  13 |  10 |   25 |   19 |   4 |
|   57 | Kazakhstan            |   1 |   2 |   5 |    2 |    1 |   0 |
|   58 | Kenya                 |  20 |  11 |  24 |   20 |   41 |   1 |
|   59 | Korea (Repub- lic of) |   2 |   4 |   4 |    9 |    7 |   0 |
|   60 | Kuwait                | 591 | 659 | 707 | 1279 | 1201 |  75 |
|   61 | Kyrgyzstan            |   0 |   1 |   1 |    7 |    3 |   0 |
|   62 | Laos PDR              |   1 |   2 |   0 |    1 |    0 |   0 |
|   63 | Lebanon               |   0 |   0 |  11 |   21 |   10 |   0 |
|   64 | Libya                 |   0 |   0 |   1 |    0 |    1 |   0 |
|   65 | Madagascar            |   9 |   7 |   7 |    4 |    6 |   0 |
|   66 | Malawi                |   6 |  11 |   8 |   11 |   20 |   0 |
|   67 | Malaysia              | 317 | 348 | 441 |  412 |  592 |  26 |
|   68 | Maldives              |  11 |  14 |   7 |   13 |   17 |   0 |

|   69 | Mali              |    2 |    4 |    2 |    7 |    7 |   0 |
|------|-------------------|------|------|------|------|------|-----|
|   70 | Malta             |    0 |    0 |    3 |    2 |    6 |   0 |
|   71 | Mauritius         |    3 |   15 |    9 |    9 |   10 |   0 |
|   72 | Mexico            |    7 |    2 |    6 |    3 |    5 |   0 |
|   73 | Morocco           |    0 |    4 |    1 |    1 |    2 |   0 |
|   74 | Mongolia          |    0 |    0 |    0 |    0 |    1 |   0 |
|   75 | Mozambique        |   10 |   13 |   11 |   14 |   11 |   0 |
|   76 | Myanmar           |    4 |    7 |    8 |    8 |   10 |   1 |
|   77 | Namibia           |    0 |    0 |    3 |    0 |    3 |   0 |
|   78 | Nepal             |   80 |   71 |  101 |  105 |   91 |   2 |
|   79 | Netherlands       |   10 |   12 |    8 |   17 |   12 |   1 |
|   80 | New Zealand       |   43 |   51 |   49 |   20 |   31 |   0 |
|   81 | Niger             |    0 |    1 |    0 |    2 |    0 |   0 |
|   82 | Nigeria           |   25 |   25 |   13 |   79 |   75 |   7 |
|   83 | Norway            |    2 |    7 |    3 |    1 |    3 |   0 |
|   84 | Oman              |  495 |  526 |  485 |  630 |  913 |  38 |
|   85 | Pakistan          |    3 |    3 |    1 |    6 |    1 |   0 |
|   86 | Palestine         |    0 |    0 |    1 |    0 |    0 |   0 |
|   87 | Panama            |    1 |    8 |    2 |    4 |   10 |   0 |
|   88 | Papua New Guinea  |    0 |    1 |    2 |    1 |    1 |   0 |
|   89 | Peru              |    0 |    0 |    1 |    0 |    2 |   0 |
|   90 | Philippines       |   64 |   60 |   77 |   51 |   67 |   6 |
|   91 | Poland            |    6 |    7 |    4 |   13 |   12 |   0 |
|   92 | Portugal          |    8 |    5 |   17 |   14 |   19 |   0 |
|   93 | Qatar             |  282 |  285 |  250 |  385 |  420 |  43 |
|   94 | Romania           |    0 |    1 |    1 |    3 |    8 |   1 |
|   95 | Russia            |    8 |   13 |   16 |   19 |   26 |   0 |
|   96 | Rwanda            |    0 |    0 |    0 |    2 |    4 |   0 |
|   97 | Saudi Arabia      | 2664 | 2551 | 2353 | 3753 | 2328 | 169 |
|   98 | Serbia            |    0 |    1 |    1 |    0 |    3 |   0 |
|   99 | Senegal           |    1 |    6 |    5 |    6 |    7 |   1 |
|  100 | Seychelles        |    5 |    7 |    7 |    7 |    6 |   0 |
|  101 | Sierra Leone      |    0 |    0 |    0 |    0 |    1 |   3 |
|  102 | Singapore         |  151 |  158 |  165 |  166 |  170 |  15 |
|  103 | Slovak Repub- lic |    1 |    0 |    0 |    0 |    1 |   0 |
|  104 | South Africa      |   31 |   30 |   37 |   35 |   66 |   1 |
|  105 | South Sudan       |    2 |    2 |    4 |    3 |    6 |   0 |

| 106   | Spain                    |   18 |   29 |   37 |    32 |    25 |   0 |
|-------|--------------------------|------|------|------|-------|-------|-----|
| 107   | Sri Lanka                |   30 |   32 |   47 |    27 |    28 |   0 |
| 108   | Sudan                    |    1 |    4 |    2 |    21 |    20 |   2 |
| 109   | Suriname                 |    1 |    4 |    1 |     0 |     1 |   0 |
| 110   | Swaziland                |    0 |    0 |    0 |     3 |     6 |   0 |
| 111   | Sweden                   |    0 |    1 |    2 |     6 |     5 |   0 |
| 112   | Switzerland              |    8 |    7 |   10 |    12 |     2 |   0 |
| 113   | Syria                    |    0 |    0 |    2 |     0 |     3 |   0 |
| 114   | Tajikistan               |    0 |    1 |    0 |     0 |     0 |   0 |
| 115   | Tanzania                 |   35 |   28 |   21 |    27 |    48 |   3 |
| 116   | Thailand                 |   83 |   80 |  101 |    76 |   113 |   5 |
| 117   | Togo                     |    0 |    0 |    0 |     0 |     4 |   0 |
| 118   | Trinidad & To- bago      |    0 |    0 |    0 |     1 |     7 |   0 |
| 119   | Tunisia                  |    0 |    0 |    0 |     3 |     7 |   0 |
| 120   | Turkey                   |   11 |   10 |    4 |     6 |     9 |   0 |
| 121   | Turkmenistan             |    0 |    1 |    0 |     0 |     1 |   0 |
| 122   | Uganda                   |   26 |   40 |   41 |    57 |    44 |   4 |
| 123   | United Arab Emirates     | 1637 | 1759 | 1751 |  2454 |  2714 | 193 |
| 124   | United King- dom         |  120 |  104 |  141 |    90 |   140 |  19 |
| 125   | Ukraine                  |    5 |    6 |    2 |     6 |    13 |   0 |
| 126   | United States of America |  451 |  373 |  458 |   280 |   395 |  11 |
| 127   | Uzbekistan               |    0 |    0 |    1 |     1 |     3 |   0 |
| 128   | Venezuela                |    0 |    0 |    0 |     0 |     3 |   0 |
| 129   | Vietnam                  |    3 |   12 |    9 |     9 |     4 |   0 |
| 130   | Yemen                    |    0 |    0 |    0 |     0 |     2 |   0 |
| 131   | Zambia                   |   10 |   13 |   13 |    11 |    25 |   1 |
| 132   | Zimbabwe                 |    0 |    2 |    1 |     3 |     3 |   0 |
|       | Total                    | 8319 | 8619 | 8773 | 11517 | 11347 | 676 |

***