India has successfully repatriated all of its citizens who wanted to come back from Syria after rebel forces removed President Bashar Assad’s administration. The Syrian government fell on Sunday as rebels seized control of Damascus along with several other significant cities.
The evacuation effort took place on Tuesday. “We have successfully brought back all Indian nationals in Syria who wanted to return home following recent events in that country. Up to now, 77 Indian nationals from Syria have been repatriated,” stated External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal during a press conference on Friday.
#WATCH | Delhi: On repatriation efforts for Indians in West Asia, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal says, "You would have followed the repatriation and evacuation of Indians from Syria. 77 Indians have been evacuated so far, these are those who wanted to return. The other have… pic.twitter.com/sVqtjy6iFc
— ANI (@ANI) December 13, 2024
Indian embassy staff in Damascus guided the evacuees to the border, where the Indian mission in Lebanon helped with their immigration process. Jaiswal mentioned, “Our embassy organized their accommodation and travel in Beirut, as well as their journey back home. The majority of our nationals have already come back to India, and the rest will be arriving later today or tomorrow. ”
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He also pointed out that the 44 Zaireen on a pilgrimage in Syria had departed from Beirut to explore other religious sites in the area. In spite of the crisis, the Indian Embassy in Syria continues to function.
India reaffirmed its appeal for a peaceful resolution to the conflict. “We are closely observing the situation in Syria in view of the ongoing events. We emphasize the necessity for all parties to strive towards maintaining the unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Syria,” the MEA remarked.
“We support a peaceful and inclusive Syrian-led political process that honors the interests and aspirations of all segments of Syrian society,” it concluded.
