Parliament Question: Assistance to Indian Nationals in Distress Abroad

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO - 2083 ANSWERED ON - 31/07/2026 ASSISTANCE TO INDIAN NATIONALS IN DISTRESS ABROAD †2083. SHRI TARIQ ANWAR:

Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

(a) the details of consular services provided, emergency assistance rendered, repatriations handled and grievances redressed through Indian Missions for Indian citizens residing abroad from the year 2023- 24 to till date, country-wise;

(b) whether the Government has recently reviewed the existing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the safety and swift evacuation of Indian citizens residing abroad during times of war, internal strife, natural disasters or other emergency situations, if so, the details thereof; and

(c) whether the Government is contemplating upon any new digital mechanism or other initiatives to enhance the efficiency of consular services, expedite grievance redressal and ensure the safety of Indian citizens abroad through Indian Missions and if so, the details thereof? 1ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS (SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH)

(a) As per the information available with this Ministry, the number of grievances received and resolved through Indian Missions for Indian citizens residing abroad from the year 2023-24 to till date, country-wise is placed at Annexure A.

(b) The safety, security and well-being of the Indian nationals abroad is the foremost priority of Government of India. To uphold this commitment, the Government actively and continuously reviews the safety and evacuation preparedness for Indian nationals, especially those residing in conflict-affected regions. Based on prevailing circumstances, the Government issues advisories to caution Indian nationals to avoid unnecessary travel, follow safety guidelines issued by the local authorities and remain in contact with Indian Missions.

Various communication mechanisms are in place for Indian nationals to reach Indian Missions/Posts, including email, multilingual 24x7 emergency numbers, social media, toll-free helplines & WhatsApp numbers. Upon any emergent situation, the Government could launch operations, where required, involving multiple stakeholders, to safely 2evacuate stranded Indian nationals. During such evacuation process, 24x7 Control Rooms are operated at Headquarters and abroad to provide information and assistance to the stranded Indian nationals.

The Government remains in continuous contact with concerned foreign governments through diplomatic channels to ensure safety and well- being of the Indian nationals abroad, as also to coordinate evacuation operations.

(c) In pursuance of "Good Governance" initiatives, the Ministry launched an online Consular Grievances Management System named MADAD on 21 February 2015 to assist Indians abroad requiring consular assistance. All stakeholders are associated with MADAD Portal for consular grievance tracking and follow-up. MADAD incorporates flexible architecture to handle a variety of grievances, online filing and linking of similar grievances for easier retrieval and reference, automatic escalation and enhancement of priority, colour-coded dash boards for easy assessment and monitoring, and has an associated call centre to help illiterate grievants. A mobile App for MADAD has also been launched. Grievances registered on the MADAD portal are monitored closely and disposed of expeditiously.

3Further, the Ministry has started ‘SEWA- Indian Consular Services System’ which has enabled Indian Nationals to apply online for various consular services at Indian Missions/Posts abroad.

4Annexure A From 2023-24 to till date Country Grievances received Grievances resolved Afghanistan 54 38 Albania 3 0 Algeria 16 12 Angola 44 39 Argentina 9 8 Armenia 104 99 Australia 604 457 Austria 38 25 Azerbaijan 25 20 Bahrain 337 313 Bangladesh 65 56 Belarus 21 20 Belgium 27 19 Bhutan 7 6 Botswana 3 3 Brazil 12 11 Brunei Darussalam 23 15 Bulgaria 10 7 Burkina Faso 3 3 Cabo Verde 2 2 Cambodia 186 108 Cameroon 14 7 Canada 858 763 Chile 1 0 China 147 129 Colombia 7 6 Cote d ivoire 21 18 Croatia 25 19 Cuba 1 0 Cyprus 13 9 Czech Republic 15 14 Democratic Republic of Congo 80 59 Denmark 19 6 Djibouti 5 4 5Dominican Republic 3 1 Egypt 23 19 Equatorial Guinea 5 4 Eritrea 0 0 Estonia 2 2 Ethiopia 44 36 Fiji 6 6 Finland 26 20 France 91 75 Gabon 4 1 Georgia 23 11 Germany 357 316 Ghana 29 23 Greece 26 21 Guatemala 6 6 Guinea 14 9 Guyana 19 9 Hungary 25 25 Iceland 2 2 Indonesia 56 49 Iran 127 113 Iraq 128 121 Ireland 81 55 Israel 60 54 Italy 97 75 Jamaica 25 18 Japan 43 34 Jordan 44 42 Kazakhstan 31 17 Kenya 52 43 Kingdom of Eswatini 4 4 Kuwait 1141 703 Kyrgyzstan 54 48 Laos 29 26 Latvia 8 2 Lebanon 8 7 Liberia 6 0 Libya 50 37 Lithuania 7 7 6Madagascar 4 1 Malawi 6 5 Malaysia 1386 1225 Maldives 167 161 Mali 13 11 Malta 28 23 Mauritania 2 1 Mauritius 36 28 Mexico 15 14 Mongolia 0 0 Morocco 6 6 Mozambique 14 14 Myanmar 127 103 Namibia 2 2 Nepal 87 65 Netherlands 113 106 New Zealand 153 124 Niger 3 2 Nigeria 101 85 Norway 15 12 Oman 1226 1031 Pakistan 29 27 Panama 10 8 Papua New Guinea 1 1 Peru 6 5 Philippines 89 74 Poland 85 81 Portugal 136 119 Qatar 596 545 Republic of Congo 2 2 Republic of Korea 33 28 Romania 22 17 Russia 251 223 Rwanda 2 2 Sao Tome and Principe 2 2 Saudi Arabia 5972 4809 Senegal 16 13 Serbia 22 22 Seychelles 12 9 7Sierra Leone 13 12 Singapore 390 374 Slovak Republic 14 7 Slovenia 4 3 South Africa 48 28 South Sudan 1 1 Spain 28 19 Sri Lanka 63 46 Sudan 28 24 Suriname 10 8 Sweden 62 56 Switzerland 19 14 Syria 2 2 Tajikistan 6 3 Tanzania 43 21 Thailand 191 172 Timor Leste 0 0 Togo 7 5 Trinidad And Tobago 11 10 Tunisia 4 4 Turkiye 52 50 Turkmenistan 1 1 USA 1479 1284 Uganda 36 25 Ukraine 43 41 United Arab Emirates 3506 3171 United Kingdom 627 565 Uzbekistan 66 50 Venezuela 0 0 Vietnam 47 43 Yemen 19 14 Zambia 25 18 Zimbabwe 7 7 TOTAL 23197 19420 ***** 8