In one of the largest single-day civilian evacuations since hostilities erupted in the Gulf, 345 Indian fishermen arrived at Chennai airport on Saturday evening after a complex overland-and-air corridor via Armenia. The group—predominantly from Tamil Nadu but also including workers from Kerala and Andhra Pradesh—had been stranded at Iranian ports when maritime security deteriorated in late February. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar publicly thanked his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan for “facilitating safe transit”, signalling the growing use of the Caucasus route to bypass contested Persian Gulf airspace. According to the MEA’s Gulf Division, India has now repatriated over 1,200 nationals from Iran since 28 February, using charter flights coordinated with private operators and the Indian Community Welfare Fund. The rescued fishermen reported confiscated passports, unpaid wages and dwindling food supplies after Iranian boat owners suspended voyages. Upon arrival they underwent medical screening and biometric clearance under India’s e-Mission Mode Repatriation Protocol, then were bused to district reception centres where state authorities arranged onward travel grants. Marine-work visas for Iran remain valid, but unions say renewal queues are pointless until insurance underwriters lift war-risk exclusions. Recruiters are redirecting workers to Oman and Saudi Arabia, yet warn of oversupply and lower wages. Mobility managers with personnel in high-risk maritime zones should audit crisis-evacuation clauses and maintain passport-copy repositories to speed emergency documentation. The operation highlights India’s expanding consular-emergency playbook—combining satellite tracking, regional partnerships and dedicated charter capacity—to protect its 8 million-strong overseas workforce amid an increasingly unstable neighbourhood.
Source: Republic World
