Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said here on Wednesday that at this stage they have confirmations of 58 nurses who would like to return to India.
"We are working to ensure that all of them leave their places of work because we don't feel that circumstances warrant their continuance at this stage," said Akbaruddin.
He added that the External Affairs Minister (EAM) Sushma Swaraj has directed the MEA to deploy a senior official of the rank of Joint Secretary to help in facilitating the return of Indian nationals from Libya to India and the official will be reaching Libya shortly.
"The EAM today chaired a high level meeting on the process that is set in motion with the advisory given to Indian nationals to leave Libya at the earliest. A decision has been taken and six officials have been deployed in Libya and Tunisia. The EAM has asked for funds to be transferred from the Indian community welfare fund in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for use by Indian nationals in difficult circumstances in Libya. The EAM has directed mea to deploy a senior official of the rank of joint secretary to help in facilitating the return of Indian nationals from Libya to India and the official will reach Libya shortly," added Akbaruddin.
Akbaruddin said, "The ambassador of India has informed that companies in Libya who employ 450 Indian nationals in the western part of Libya have agreed to send back their Indian employees at their own cost. Tickets are being purchased for those Indian nationals who have evinced an interest in returning to India."
He further added, "Options have been looked at to see the move of Indian nationals in eastern part of Libya to return to India. We hope that first lot of Indian nationals will be returning to India before the weekend. The Indian ambassador in Libya has been able to obtain from the ministry of labor permission for departure of Indians; the formalities will take some time."
Earlier today, Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy had said, "a large number of workers and nurses who are stuck in Libya want to come back to India. While the nurses are safe right now, with food and water provisions, gas and electricity continue to remain in short supply."
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He also said that 118 names of the nurses have been listed and handed over to the MEA and the Indian embassy.
In Tripoli medical centre itself, more than 350 Malayalee nurses are working and a large number of nurses are also working in Benghazi, according to Chandy.
