Coronavirus: Pakistan starts repatriating its citizens stranded in UAE

Pakistan has started repatriating its citizens, left stranded due to the coronavirus-enforced lockdown, from the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This comes in the aftermath of UAE threatening to review labour ties with countries refusing to take back their nationals during the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The first Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight carrying 227 "stranded passengers" from Dubai and other emirates left for Islamabad on Saturday evening, Pakistan's consulate general in Dubai said in a Twitter post. More flights would depart the UAE from Monday to April 28.

More than 40,000 Pakistanis in the Gulf Arab state have registered with the consulate to return home.

The UAE said last week it would review labour relations with states refusing to evacuate citizens, including those who have lost jobs or been put on leave, after the ambassadors of India and Pakistan said their countries were not yet ready to do so.

To this end, the PIA had said on its website that it would not be able to provide services for inbound flights beyond Islamabad International Airport because of the suspension of domestic flights and a lockdown in the country.

The UAE and other Gulf states have reported increased infections among low-income migrant workers who live in overcrowded quarters. Some have moved to re-house them in shuttered schools or dedicated centres, and are trying to arrange flights to repatriate them.

On Sunday, the UAE announced 479 new cases and four more deaths, bringing its total to 6,781 cases and 41 deaths.

The total infection count in the six Gulf states has risen steadily to more than 26,600, with 167 deaths, despite containment measures. Saudi Arabia, which has the most infections and deaths among Gulf Cooperation Council states, at 9,362 and 97, recorded a record 1,088 new cases in 24 hours.