Indian expats cannot be flown back immediately, says Supreme Court

New Delhi: Non Resident Indians who need to return to India right now cannot do so, the Supreme Court of India has said.
Media reports say that this is to stop the spread of infection of COVID-19 in the country, with all decisions pertaining to the return of Indian nationals stranded overseas being deferred for four weeks by the country’s top judicial body.
The decisions to defer rulings on bringing back Indian nationals would affect those who are currently in Europe, the Middle East, the United States and Iran. The move by the Supreme Court comes following the decision by the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs to extend the visas of all foreigners until April 30, 2020, assuming they expire before then.
“Regular visas, e-visas or stay stipulations of such foreign nationals who have who have been stranded in India because of the spread of COVID-19 in many parts of the world and due to consequent travel restrictions imposed by Indian authorities, and whose visas have expired or would be expiring between February 1, 2020 and April 30, 2020, would be extended until April 30, 2020 (midnight) on a gratis basis, after making an online application by the foreigner,” said India’s Press Information Bureau.