DOHA: Indian expats in Qatar have expressed concern over the delay in the resumption of scheduled flights from India to Doha. Thousands of Indians are believed to be stuck in India waiting to return to Qatar.
Though expats can start returning from August 1, only a small number has been able to return due to lack of flights. As Qatar begins to lift COVID-19 restrictions and companies resume normal operations, the inability of Indians to return to Doha has created a crisis situation for them and would result in job losses to many people, community leaders have said. The delay in the resumption of flights is said to be due to procedural and other issues, mainly in India.
An online meeting of several Indian expat organisations in Doha discussed the situation. The meeting, called by Gulf Calicut Air Passengers Association (GAPAQ), was attended by representatives of several Indian community organisations and some official bodies. The participants urged the Indian ambassador in Qatar to coordinate with various concerned agencies to expedite the return of Indians to Qatar.
The meeting noted that several families continue to remain separated as some members are stuck in India, and several students will miss out on their education when schools reopen in September. The participants also said some airlines are yet to give refunds for tickets booked before COVID, adding to the woes of expats who have suffered in various ways.
Community sources say those who left Doha from November 2019 are waiting to come back. Some go on vacation after two years and return after four or five months.
“Expats of other nationalities are beginning to come back. Until now, when the flights were suspended to all destinations, it was a crisis which had hit everyone. But now, since the companies have resumed operations, the failure of some people to report for duty will affect their operations and they might look for alternatives,” said Abdul Raoof Kondotty, an expert on expatriate affairs.
Norka-Roots Director C V Rappai, ICBF President P N Baburajan, ICC President Manikantan, GAPAQ President K K Usman and representatives of Indian community organisations spoke at the meeting.