Aiswarya Raj and her 11-month-old son Dhruv are among those still stuck in India. Photo / Supplied
Aiswarya Raj and her 11-month-old son Dhruv are among those still stuck in India. Photo / Supplied
Sanjay Raj has been having sleepless nights worried about his stranded wife and 6-month-old son and is calling for New Zealand authorities to bring them home from South India.
Raj says his wife Aiswarya and Dhruv have been stuck in South India since March after they returned home to visit family and were caught in the Covid-19 border closures.
Although there had been three mercy flights bringing New Zealanders back from India, they had departed from Delhi and Mumbai - far from where the family is in Kerala.
India is looking at using chartered Air India flights to bring its citizens home from New Zealand. Photo / Supplied
"We are talking about approximately 2300km, it will take about four days in car and three days by train in normal times - but there are no trains available," Raj said.
"All the borders between states are now closed and it is impossible for my wife, who has an infant, to be travelling such a long distance."
Aiswarya is a permanent resident their son is a New Zealand citizen.
About 1000 Kiwis are believed to be stranded in South India. Photo / Supplied
"Tickets for the last two repatriation flights sold out within 20 minutes, our travel insurance company advised that they won't cover the cost because it is a pandemic situation," Raj said.
The wife and son are currently staying with her parents, who are unwell, and they are desperate to come home.
"I haven't seen my son and wife for four months since they went to India to see his grandparents for the first time," he said.
Raj estimated there were more than 1000 New Zealanders stuck in South India, and said at least two flights were needed - departing from Chennai and Cochin - to bring them home.
"We are happy to pay, but no one is helping us. We have contacted MPs, the PM and Opposition Leader but none of them helped," Raj added.
Deepthi Xavier, a NZ permanent resident since 2015, is another who is also stuck in Kerala with her 11-month old child.
"All airports are still closed and there is less hope for international flight travel soon due to still rising cases in India and ongoing lockdowns," she said.
Xavier has a 7-year-old child, who is in NZ with her husband, and is pining away for her return.
"My elder child is feels sad and keeps asking me when am I returning back to home with his baby sister, to which I don't have an answer other than to make him believe that I'll be with him soon," she added.
Xavier said she had been unable to get to the mercy flights that had departed from North India because there wasn't any domestic flights operating.
"We feel that South Indians are being completely ignored and returning home to NZ remains just a dream for us now," she said.
But there is hope, as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade says it is speaking with Indian authorities to get Kiwis on board flights headed here to bring its own citizens home.
"India is currently looking into Air India charter flights to repatriate its citizens from New Zealand, and we are working with the Indian authorities to explore options for New Zealanders to return home on any outward flights from India, including any from southern India," the spokesman said.
"We are aware of New Zealanders who were located too far from Mumbai or New Delhi to travel on those flights. We continue to provide New Zealanders in India with consular assistance. The focus of our repatriation efforts is on New Zealand citizens in challenging circumstances."
However, the spokesman noted that only passengers who meet New Zealand immigration requirements would be able to board these flights.
"There are currently limitations on travelling to and entering New Zealand if you are not a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident," he added.
