The Indian government has informed Parliament that 16 Indian nationals, including 10 seafarers, have lost their lives in the Middle East since the conflict began this year. This information was provided by Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh in response to a query from CPI(M) MP John Brittas in the Rajya Sabha.
According to Singh, the 16 Indian nationals who lost their lives were in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Iraq, and the UAE. Additionally, 75 Indians were injured in these countries, with 32 in the UAE, 24 in Oman, four in Qatar, 13 in Kuwait, one in Saudi Arabia, and one in Israel. In a separate accident not related to the conflict, 12 Indian nationals lost their lives in a gas facility in Qatar.
The government has extended assistance to the families of the deceased Indian nationals, including repatriation of their mortal remains to India. The injured Indian nationals received medical treatment in local hospitals, and Indian embassies and consulates coordinated with local authorities to provide updates on their health condition and facilitate their safe return to India.
The government also provides ex-gratia compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the next of kin of seafarers who lost their lives in war-zone incidents. Seafarers covered under Collective Bargaining Agreements are also eligible for additional war-zone compensation.
In a separate development, the Indian Embassy in Tehran has facilitated the cross-border movement of 2,557 Indian nationals from Iran to Armenia/Azerbaijan for their onward travel to India. The government estimates that there may be around 7,000 Indian nationals in Iran, including seminary students, medical students, workers, seafarers, and fishermen.
The government has raised concerns with the Iranian authorities about the issues faced by Indian medical students who had to return to India due to the conflict and is exploring ways to mitigate the situation. Indian nationals desiring to travel to Iran have been advised to postpone their travel plans until the situation improves.
The government has also taken note of visa restrictions imposed on former Indian employees of the Iranian Hospital in Dubai, including a large number of healthcare professionals from Kerala. The Indian Mission and Post in the UAE have extended assistance to the affected Indian nationals and raised the matter with the local authorities through diplomatic channels.
In another development, the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has arrested 52 individuals, including 30 Indian nationals, during ‘Operation Checkmate’ for allegedly being in the United States illegally. The Ministry of External Affairs has sought information from the US authorities regarding the identity and particulars of the individuals concerned.
