Vande Bharat Mission: India repatriates 156 nationals from Sri Lanka

The Air India flight carrying 156 stranded Indians from Colombo under the third phase of Vande Bharat Mission today landed in India.

The Indian nationals thanked the Indian government and Indian High Commission for their evacuation. 

The third phase of the Vande Bharat Mission programme will continue till August 2 and more than 400,000 Indian nationals have registered with missions abroad for repatriation on compelling grounds.

Indian High Commissioner Gopal Baglay met the Indian nationals at the Bandaranaike International Airport and bid them a safe journey.

The flight was scheduled as part of the phase-III of ‘Vande Bharat Mission’ to repatriate Indians stranded abroad due to the international travel restrictions following the coronavirus outbreak.

Over 1,000 Indians have been repatriated from Sri Lanka so far in various flights and the Indian Navy Ship INS Jalashwa since the first phase of the evacuation mission was launched on May 7.

The next Air India special flight from Colombo to Delhi, Lucknow and Gaya is scheduled on June 22, the release said. 

(With inputs from agencies)