THE Indian High Commission in London is offering assistance with organising accommodation for Indian nationals stranded in the UK in light of India’s ban on travellers from the UK and Europe over coronavirus pandemic.

The mission had already set up an email system for Indian passport holders to get in touch with details of their situation and has continued to field hundreds of calls and social media messages from Indian professionals and students desperate to return home. “High Commission can help you with accommodation. You may let us have your location by email at [email protected]. We will give you further advise by email,” the mission said, in response to pleas for help.

 

 

 

“The High Commission continues to engage with the UK authorities on guidance for Indians in the UK whose visas are due to expire but are currently unable to leave,” notes its latest advisory.

 

Among those seeking help is an animator and graphic designer who is among a group of four Indian professionals, who say their confirmed tickets to return to India were automatically cancelled as the ban came into effect from Wednesday. “Now without jobs and savings how are we gonna survive in here,” he says.

 

“I know this is a dynamic situation, however it is pretty disappointing to see that we still do not have a decision from UK authorities for people stranded in the UK. Chinese nationals have received an automatic

 

extension of visas, why are we not following the same model,” adds a senior business analyst from Leeds.

There are others keen to know if they would be able to travel back to India after March 31, the current deadline for India’s travel ban. However, there is an increasing fear that the travel ban would be further extended given the rapid spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has claimed 144 lives in the UK.