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'Now we can sleep peacefully': Indians evacuated from Syria arrive at Delhi airport

Ministry of External Affairs coordinated with the embassies in Syria and Lebanon to facilitate their return

Published: Sat 14 Dec 2024, 12:22 PM

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  • ANI

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Photo: ANI

Photo: ANI

For many, it was a sense of relief after returning home. Indian nationals evacuated from war-torn Syria landed at the New Delhi airport on Saturday.

India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) coordinated with the embassies in Syria and Lebanon, to facilitate the evacuation of the Indian nationals.

Many Indians shared their experience of staying in Syria during the conflict between rebel fighters and the government, and were grateful to the ministry as well as the missions in helping them return to India.

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"I was in Syria for about six months and the situation was normal there. When the conflict broke out between the rebels and the government, we contacted the embassy and also to people close to us. About 75 people had left before me. We were in the embassy for two days. They helped us and took very good care of us," one of the Indians, who was evacuated, recounted.

"Now we can sleep peacefully. The government has done well. It is not easy to evacuate 75 people," he added.

Another Indian, who had been living in Syria for the past six years, said that the embassy supported them and provided them with food and accommodation, apart from making arrangements for their return.

Earlier on Friday, the MEA said that 77 Indians had been evacuated.

"So far, 77 Indians have been evacuated. These are those who wanted to return. In addition to that, several other Indians have settled there, married there or are pursuing some vocation and still continue to live there. If they want to return, we will facilitate their return. These 77 were evacuated via Lebanon, and our embassies in Lebanon and Syria coordinated very closely. We brought them by road, after which the Indian embassy in Lebanon facilitated their immigration," MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.

"Out of the 77, 44 were on a pilgrimage to various sites in the region. They have left Beirut for other places and the remaining 30 have either returned or are travelling as we speak, and will be returning to India soon," he added.

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