Iraqi citizens, including elderly passengers, arrive at an airport during a government-organized evacuation operation from India, as officials and staff assist returnees.
Iraq repatriates more than 1,000 citizens from India in latest evacuation push
BAGHDAD — Iraq’s embassy in India repatriated more than 930 citizens on six flights, along with 72 others from Bengaluru, as part of ongoing evacuation efforts for Iraqis stranded abroad since the closure of Iraqi airspace, the Foreign Ministry said Sunday.
The ministry said Indian authorities cooperated to expedite procedures and reduce fines on visa violators, while citizens with expired residencies were allowed to depart without legal complications. Iraqi Airways crews were also among those transported. Citizens arriving from New Delhi were received at the Arar border crossing by embassy staff from Riyadh and transported overland into Iraq, with Saudi authorities facilitating their transit.
The operation brings the total number of evacuation flights to at least 14 since Iraq closed its airspace Feb. 28 following the outbreak of regional hostilities. The ministry said earlier this week that eight consecutive flights had already returned a large number of citizens from multiple countries including India and Egypt. Iraq’s airspace remains closed, with the Civil Aviation Authority extending the suspension for the ninth consecutive time Sunday through noon Wednesday.