Diwali is a festival of new beginnings and lighting of sparkling diyas. But, more importantly the festive season is all about spending time with loved ones at home. The pandemic has stranded many Indians abroad, away from their families. To support the Indian government’s efforts to repatriate distressed Indians from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), VFS Global, the world’s largest visa outsourcing and technology services specialist for governments and diplomatic missions worldwide, joined hands with the Indian Consulate in Dubai to successfully repatriate a batch of stranded workers from Dubai to India. The workers flew in batches from Dubai to Lucknow, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad, in time to celebrate Diwali – the auspicious festival of lights – with loved ones.

Indian Consulate in Dubai assisted the workers to exit the country by facilitating their repatriation process. VFS Globalsponsoredreturn flight tickets and cleared the pending visa fines of the workers who were abandoned by their employer and not paid for over a period of 10 months. Instead of gifting customary corporate hampers, VFS Global made a donation as a way of giving a meaningful gift on the occasion of Diwali to its business partners.

Upon receiving the clearance to exit the country, RajeshamYennam, one of the stranded workers with an expired visa and no money to support a living, expressed a sigh of relief and said; “I am very happy to see my return ticket. I have already informed my family that I am coming home. I am now excited to celebrate Diwali with them.”

The Indian Consulate in Dubai has helped many workers to return home safely in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, some still continue to face a plethora of challenges in their attempt to return home. These include expired visas, pending fines and lack of funds to book return flights among others.

Peter Brun, Chief Communications Officer who is responsible for CSR initiatives at VFS Global said: “This Diwali we wanted to make a difference by illuminating not just diyas, but also the lives of some less fortunate families around us. We made a meaningful contribution through the Indian Consulate here in Dubai to expand our support for the Indian community. VFS Global has a deep appreciation for the Consulate’s efforts to repatriate stranded workers and to unite them with their families to celebrate the festive season.