VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Jakarta (VOI News) - The Indonesian Embassy in New Delhi, India, has again successfully implemented a self-initiated repatriation program for Indonesian citizens detained in India. Only 4 (four) days after the 4^th phase of repatriation program on July 23, on Tuesday (27/7), the Indonesian Embassy in New Delhi has successfully implemented the self-initiated repatriation program for the fifth time. A release from the Indonesian Embassy in New Delhi received by Voice of Indonesia in Jakarta on Wednesday (29/07) said that 24 Indonesian citizens were registered in the 5^th phase of self-initiated repatriation program. Speaking to Voice of Indonesia in Jakarta on Wednesday (29/07), the Counselor of the Socio-Cultural Information of the Indonesian Embassy in New Delhi, Irvan Fachrizal, as the field coordinator of the repatriation program said that the Indonesian Embassy continuously makes efforts to protect Indonesian citizens detained in India due to the lockdown policy by the local government because of the COVID-19 outbreak since March 24, 2020.

"The Indonesian Embassy will continuously carry out the protection task by identifying detained Indonesian citizens in all states in India so that they can return to Indonesia through a similar program. Referring to the experience of repatriation several times earlier, inshaAllah in the future it will be even better and we hope that Indonesian citizens can soon gather with their beloved families in the country. Of course that becomes the spirit for us in carrying out the task of making every repatriation program a success," said Irvan Fachrizal.

This repatriation program used Garuda Indonesia flight on the Delhi – Medan – Jakarta route, and arrived in Jakarta on July 28, 2020. Of the 24 Indonesians, 1 of them is a student, 21 religious pilgrims, and 2 tourists. They came from the states of Haryana, Punjab, and Karnataka.

Like the repatriation that has been done before, the Indonesian Embassy in New Delhi facilitates the Indonesian citizens with a travel permit to be used when continuing to travel to their respective regions in Indonesia, a certificate of the COVID-19 test, and a complete personal protection equipment (PPE) for their smooth and secure arrival in Indonesia. . Until now, the number of Indonesian citizens who have been successfully repatriated from India is 419 people from the Indonesian Embassy in New Delhi and from the Indonesian Consulate General (KJRI) of Mumbai. (VOI / Release of Indonesian Embassy in New Delhi / AHM)