India Steps Up Operation Safe Homecoming to Evacuate Over 18,000 Stranded Indians from Libya

Strategic Insights -

Around 3,000 Indians are expected to be evacuated from Libya in the next few days as part of the Indian government's multi-pronged Operation Safe Homecoming. The second batch of 68 Indian nationals landed in Mumbai from strife-torn Libya on Monday, while another 600 were arriving on two special Air India flights early Tuesday. The Indian government has so far evacuated nearly 1,000 Indians from Libya, with some 1,200 people expected to be evacuated by an Indian ship docked at the Libyan port city of Benghazi.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Indian government has launched Operation Safe Homecoming to evacuate over 18,000 Indians stranded in Libya, which has been plagued by violence and over 1,000 deaths.
  • Around 3,000 Indians are expected to be evacuated from Libya in the next few days, with a third batch of 68 landing in Mumbai on Monday and another 600 on special Air India flights.
  • The Indian government has so far evacuated nearly 1,000 Indians from Libya, with some 1,200 people expected to be evacuated by an Indian ship docked at the Libyan port city of Benghazi.
  • India's ambassador to Libya, Mani Mecklai, has sought permission to land aircraft in the southwestern city of Sabha to evacuate Indian nationals stranded there.
  • Around 1,000 Indians, including doctors and their families, are stranded in Sabha, and the Indian government is making arrangements to evacuate them from the airport in central Libya.
  • Some 378 individuals have already crossed over from Libya, with Indian embassy officials assisting them in their onward movement to and stay at Djerba (Tunisia).
  • Many of the over 500 who returned from Libya Sunday had harrowing tales of suffering and killings to tell in the strife-torn country.

Rajiva Misra, India's ambassador to Slovakia, has reached Malta to set up yet another base camp for organizing ship shuttles between Libya and Malta. An air bridge is also proposed to be set up between Malta and India to bring home Indian nationals.

Statistics:

  • Over 18,000 Indians stranded in Libya
  • 3,000 Indians expected to be evacuated from Libya in the next few days
  • 1,000 Indians evacuated from Libya so far
  • 1,200 Indians expected to be evacuated by an Indian ship from Benghazi
  • 68 Indian nationals arrived in Mumbai from Libya on Monday
  • 600 Indian nationals arriving on special Air India flights early Tuesday
  • 1,000 deaths reported in Libya
  • 378 individuals have already crossed over from Libya

Sources:

  • "With India intensifying Operation Safe Homecoming, around 3,000 Indians are expected to be evacuated by two chartered ships in the next few days as a third batch of 68 landed in Mumbai from strife-torn Libya in a Gulf Air flight Monday and around 600 were coming on two special Air India flights early Tuesday." - External Affairs Ministry
  • "Both the special Air India flights from Tripoli - Airbus A-330 and Boeing 747 - are on their way back to Terminal 2, Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi," - External Affairs Ministry
  • "Giving an update on Operation Safe Homecoming, a multi-pronged operation the Indian government has launched to evacuate most of 18,000 Indians stranded in Libya, Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao said the government has so far evacuated nearly 1,000 Indians from the violence-torn oil-rich north African country." - IANS
  • "Up to 3,000 Indian nationals, including 400 who have travelled across from Al Kufrah by road, will be evacuated by Scotia Prince and La Superba," - Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs (MOIA)