Repatriation Of Indians Granted Amnesty In Kuwait : SC Asks Petitioner To Move Representation Before Centre

The Supreme Court on Friday instructed the Counsel to make appropriate representation before the Government in a plea seeking repatriation of Indian citizens and migrant workers languishing in detention camps and/or granted amnesty by State of Kuwait.

A bench of Justices L. Nageswara Rao, Sanjay Kishan Kaul & BR Gavai were hearing a the petitition filed by 4 Indians who had invalid residential permits and were granted amnesty by Kuwait. However, due to the Coronavirus-imposed lockdown, they were unable to return back to India.

"There seems to be an ongoing problem in Kuwait with respect to people languishing in these detention Centre" - observed the bench, while disposing off the plea.

Advocate Jose Abraham appeared for the petitioner and pointed out that people were languishing in jails in Kuwait and were stranded, even though representations had been earlier made.

The petition further prayed for other similarly placed Indian migrant workers who are over 300 hundred in number, lodged in detention camps which are overcrowded and lack basic amenities, including medical facilities.

The plea highlighted that that theses "notoriously" overcrowded camps have made Indians  placed there, extremely susceptible & exposed to contracting the deadly virus. 

The plea contended,

"It is also worrying fact is that due to space crunch in such camps, social distancing is impossible and the petitioners and similarly placed Indian citizens are vulnerable to Covid-19 infection." 

The petitioner(s) stated that these migrant workers were initially given time till 30.04.2020 to "make arrangements" for leaving Kuwait, failing which they were to be subjected to imprisonment. However, due to the stringent travel restrictions, they were unable to do so. 

Stating that the said travel restrictions shall "utimately lead to imprisonment of thousands of Indian emigrant workers, thereby grossly violating their basic Human Rights, which ought to be protected by the Respondents herein".

"The Petitioners have sent their representation to various officials including the External Affairs Minister and other officials at Indian Embassy in Kuwait. But no action has been taken to repatriate them back to India." - Excerpt of Petition

In this backdrop, the plea prayed for a direction to the concerned authorities for facilitating flights offered by the State of Kuwait to land in India and to receive all repatriated amnesty beneficiaries.

The petitioner has thereby impleaded the Union of India (Ministry of External Affairs), Ministry of Civil Aviation as well as the Ministry of Home Affairs for purposes of the prayers enunciated in the plea.

Additionally, the plea prayed for directions to ensure that adequate basic amenities and emergency services are made availble to Indians living in detention camps.

The Supreme Court has been hearing numerous pleas for repatriation and evacuation of stranded Indians since the Lockdown was imposed in India and international travel bans were enforced

The Centre had issued Standard Operating Protocols on May 6 for evacuation of Indian Citizens stranded Abroad amid the pandemic.

Termed the "Vande Bharat Mission", the evacuation has been started at the behest of Government. As on date, stranded Indians from various countries have been brought back.

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