AfricaPress-Tanzania: TANZANIA has begun repatriating its citizens stranded abroad as a result of cancellation of international flights in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, proving wrong some critics who have been claiming that the government is doing nothing to help its nationals stuck in foreign countries.
To start with, a total of 246 Tanzanians arrived yesterday in Dar es Salaam from India aboard an Air Tanzania’s Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner plane at around 12 noon.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, the arrangement to bring back the first group of Tanzanians from India was facilitated by the office of the High Commissioner in India, Air Tanzania Corporation Limited (ATCL) and the diaspora in India.
The first group of Tanzanians who arrived yesterday were stuck in different cities in India following the suspension of international flights across the world compounded by lockdown imposed to contain the spread of the virus.
According to ministry, the government arranged a special flight to Mumbai, India, to bring back Tanzanians who were stuck since March 22 this year.
The plane left Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai, yesterday and arrived in Dar es Salaam the same day with 246 passengers, including Tanzanians who had gone to the Asian nation for medical reasons, graduants and continuing students who were forced to return home after the closure of their colleges.
According to the ministry, about 410 had registered themselves at Tanzania’s High Commission in New Delhi to be evacuated by contributing to the cost.
“Since the number of Tanzanians wishing to return home is big, the government is looking into the possibility of arranging another special Air Tanzania flight within this month to bring back others. “The cost of the ticket, the mode of payment, the place where the plane will land and the date will be communicated to them by the Office of the High Commissioner in India,” the ministry stated.
Looking happy and dazed, several of them highly thanked the government for making their journey back home successful as they urged the government and well-wishers to facilitate the return of other Tanzanians stuck in India for lack of transport.
“I am very happy to come back home; I feel a little bit released from lots of stress of being quarantined in a country which was not ours,” said one Emilia Deus, a student who was schooling in India.
She told journalists that life was not easy in India especially after being in isolation.
“We had a hard time, especially in accessing basic needs,” she said, adding that it was not easy for foreigners like her in India to easily acquire essential needs.
Another student, Mathias Kitambi, said life changed after the outbreak of coronavirus as they had to stay in the same areas with no essential needs.
“It was not easy after being in isolation; we missed a lot, including some of the social services,” he said, adding that in terms of learning, most of the students were learning through online.
He said some of the essential services such as transport were halted, making it difficult for the people to access the basic needs.
On the other hand, Tanzanians asked the government to support the return of Tanzanians still in India to return home.
According to those who arrived yesterday, most Tanzanians still in India failed to make it back home due to lack of money to foot transport costs.
“Some of the Tanzanians still in India have no money or cannot acquire the required air transport and so, it would be appropriate for the government to consider facilitating the trips of those who cannot afford the whole lot,” said Ms Emilia.
One Mussa Tharia, a resident of Zanzibar and a relative to some seven Tanzanians who arrived from India, urged Tanzanians and well-wishers to organize fund raising initiatives to help facilitate the transport fees for those stranded in India.
“First of all I thank the government for providing a jet for bringing back our relatives because without such a move our people would have continued to suffer,” he said.
Mr Tharia said that all of the seven relatives, including two of his grandparents and five others had gone to India for treatment but due to coronavirus, they were left in their hotel with no treatment and food.
“After the coronavirus outbreak, our relatives were left with no help; even the treatment had to stop; they lacked food and other essential needs; prompting acute suffering,” he said, and reiterated the need for Tanzanians to support the remaining Tanzanians secure ATCL flights back home.
