In the month since the conflict began, over 1150 Indian citizens have left Iran by going over land into Armenia and Azerbaijan. The MEA has confirmed that these people have moved and that most have flown back to India after crossing the borders.
Evacuation numbers and routes
Specifically, 1171 Indians were helped to leave Iran by land, 818 of those being students. 977 went into Armenia, and 194 into Azerbaijan, where flights home to India were then arranged for them. These evacuations started after Iranian locations were attacked on February 28th, causing safety worries for people from other countries.
The Indian Embassy in Tehran organized buses and safe travel to the border, and worked with authorities in Armenia and Azerbaijan to make this happen. Many people who were evacuated then flew home on regular or specially organized flights, with help from diplomatic efforts, to reduce the time they spent in the border towns while their paperwork was being sorted out.
Indian casualties and injuries
Three Indians got slightly hurt in attacks in the United Arab Emirates, officials also said. They were treated in hospitals nearby and one has already left the hospital. The MEA points out that civilians in areas of the region, even outside of Iran, are still in danger.
Unfortunately, eight Indians have died in events connected to the conflict so far. This includes deaths from an attack on a facility that makes fresh water from the sea in Kuwait, bits of a fallen missile in the UAE, an Iranian attack on Riyadh, a drone attack in Sohar, Oman and attacks on ships that were travelling at the beginning of the month.
Diplomatic and consular response
The MEA has greatly increased its contact with Indian citizens throughout the Middle East, with the top priority being the safety of the approximately 10 million Indians in the area. Embassy staff have been working day and night to get citizens registered, arrange for people to travel by land from Iran, and organize flights from countries bordering Iran back to India.
The bodies of Indian sailors who were killed off the coast of Iraq and in Kuwait have been sent back to India as part of the return operation. The MEA says the remains of a sailor from the Safesea Vishnu and another who died in Kuwait arrived in India on Wednesday, which shows the complicated arrangements and diplomatic work needed to bring the victims home.
Implications and ongoing risks
These evacuations show how at risk students, people who have gone to work in other countries, and sailors are when trouble suddenly starts in a region. Around 9000 Indians, a lot of them students, were in Iran when the fighting got worse, and a large number of them could still be in danger depending on how safe the area is.
The crisis could also cause problems with money sent home by workers, the job market, and shipping lanes – all things that affect the lives of Indians working abroad and India’s business connections with the Middle East. This continuing uncertainty makes you think about plans for what to do in emergencies, how much diplomatic effort is available, and the need for clear plans for getting people out of danger.
Practical guidance for Indians abroad
If you are an Indian in the region, register with the closest Indian embassy and have emergency phone numbers ready. Follow the official travel advice, keep your ID and travel documents with you, and don’t go to areas where there is active fighting unless absolutely necessary.
Employers, colleges, and community organizations should have lists of people to contact and plans for getting people out of danger. People travelling should also think about getting travel insurance if possible, watch official sources for updates, and speak to local authorities and friends or family before going through border areas or getting on flights home.
The MEA says it will continue to observe how things are changing and help Indian citizens in the Middle East. They say that the evacuations and help from the consulates are still going on as the situation changes, and they are asking all Indians in the region to stay up-to-date and do what the official advice says.
