UAE, Pakistan working on increasing repatriation flights

DUBAI (News 24/7) - The United Arab Emirates and Pakistan are working to add more flights to repatriate Pakistani citizens from the Gulf Arab state, a Dubai government source said on Wednesday.

Islamabad last week began repatriating some of its citizens from the UAE, which had earlier warned countries refusing to take back nationals stranded by the coronavirus pandemic that it could review labour ties.

A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight carried home 227 Pakistanis on Saturday.

Thirteen more repatriation flights will depart the UAE between April 20 and April 28, the source said, adding that they will be operated by Emirates, Air Arabia and PIA.

“The governments of UAE and Pakistan continue to work to facilitate further flights to repatriate Pakistani nationals.”

Pakistan is a big labour supplier to the UAE, with more than a million Pakistanis living and working in the country, according to Pakistani diplomats. Over 40,000 Pakistanis have registered to return home, two UAE newspapers have reported.

The UAE has so far reported 7,755 infections from the virus and 46 deaths.

Special flights to repatriate Pakistanis in the UAE back to their home country are set to begin on Saturday https://t.co/4GFHT3Bbg4

— The National (@TheNationalUAE) April 15, 2020

The Abu Dhabi Workers Committee, headed by the chairman of the emirate’s economic development department, would also ensure the existence of valid work contracts, that workers’ rights are upheld and that they are paid for their work, the media office said in a post on Twitter.