Recent approvals for repatriation flights from India to Europe may open up options for New Zealanders wishing to return home: NZ Govt responds to the plight of New Zealanders stuck in India
In The Indian News’ Volume 3 Issue 14, dated July 16 - July 22, 2020, we published the story, Kiwis stuck in India demand a time-frame for allowing private charters to bring them home. Later, we asked the office of Minister Megan Woods to respond to our story, and to the specific questions as under:
There are over 450 New Zealand citizens and PRs stuck in India right now. We believe New Zealand High Commission in India (MFAT) also has the list, with this number. With three Air NZ flights, and nine Air India Vande Bharat Mission flights completed, and none scheduled as of now, the only way these Kiwis can return home to New Zealand, is via a charter flight. They say, they have been following this up with the New Zealand Government (High Commission in India), and the response has been negative so far citing restrictive capacity for managed isolation at New Zealand borders.
Q1) So these Kiwis are asking, while private charters have been allowed by the Government for film crews and sporting teams, why is the Government not considering the request of its own citizens and PRs. What's your response to this?
Q2) Considering the managed isolation capacity, will you be able to provide a time-frame to this set of Kiwis stuck in India, on when they can expect to be allowed to come back home?
Now, we have received a detailed response from the New Zealand Government, which is posted below.
A COVID-19 All of Government response group spokesperson says:
“Protecting our border is a critical part of stopping the spread of COVID-19 in New Zealand. While New Zealand is at Alert Level 1 and the disease is contained at our border, it is uncontrolled overseas. Being able to carry out managed isolation in regions across New Zealand is a key part of managing the numbers of New Zealanders seeking to return, while keeping our communities protected from COVID-19.
We have opened more managed isolation facilities to handle demand, with current capacity provided by 32 managed isolation and quarantine facilities across five regions. In the past three weeks, we’ve increased effective capacity by over a third, to around 6,700 spaces.
Between April and early July around 2,800 New Zealand citizens and permanent residents were supported to return home from India via New Zealand government chartered flights operated by Air New Zealand, commercial flights and third-country repatriation flights.
Looking ahead, we understand a number of airlines have received approval for repatriation flights from India to Europe which may begin to open up options for New Zealanders wishing to return home.
In the meantime the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade is continuing to provide consular assistance for our citizens in India.
Ongoing measures to smooth the demand include the introduction of a rolling two-week quota on the number of people airlines can return to New Zealand. The Government has worked collaboratively with airlines operating commercial flights into New Zealand to amend their licenses to enable the quota to be introduced. The new system will align demand with supply, as increasing numbers of New Zealanders seek to return home from around the globe.
This is an important measure that gives us an additional defence against COVID-19. We have a responsibility to New Zealand to make sure the demand on our managed isolation system does not exceed the safe level of capacity.”
-Gaurav Sharma