More than 87,000 Indians returned from Singapore through Vande Bharat flights since 2020

New Delhi, May 24: The Indian High Commission has said that as many as 87,055 Indians have returned back home from Singapore since May last year as part of the Vande Bharat Mission repatriation flights. Among the reasons the Indians had to return home were job loss, family compulsion and death in family due to COVID-19 pandemic that has impacted the entire world since last year. In a statement, the Indian High Commission said, "From May last year to May 18, 629 Vande Bharat flights have ferried 87,055 passengers."

It is reportedly said that a separate joint statement by three different ministries of the Singapore government has said that on an average 180 Indians are flying back daily to India as part of the Vande Bharat Mission flights. "There is an average of about 180 departing passengers on these flights back to India and about 25 arrivals to Singapore each day," the report said.

Vande Bharat is a programme by the Indian government to repatriate Indian nationals from around the world amidst the crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Singapore has so far reported 61,799 cases of coronavirus while the deaths caused due to it stands at 32, according to John Hopkins University.