The government has decided to bring home Nepalis citizens that are stranded in various countries other than India.

The High-level Committee led by Deputy Prime Minister Iswar Pokhrel made the decision to bring home Nepali nationals on the basis of priority. A meeting held by the Committee in Singha Durbar on Friday passed a workplan towards the same.

The meeting reportedly held discussion on the detailed workplan that laid out the stages and conditions to bring back Nepalis. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been asked to gather and furnish details within the next 10 days about Nepalis that want to return home.

Repartition will be organized on the basis of the submitted details.

The workplan presented today will, however, be amended before a final draft made. The Council of Ministers had earlier made an ethical decision to rescue Nepali nationals stranded abroad.

The government has said it will bring back at least 25,000 Nepalese home in the first phase – however, no dates have been furnished.

Since the government’s decision to enforce a nation-wide lockdown beginning 24th March, 2020, hundreds of thousands of Nepalis abroad have been unable to return home. For many, especially those who had lost their jobs or income, the lockdown meant a deep crisis – neither did they have means of subsistence, nor could they return home.

The following provisions and rules to be followed upon entering Nepal have also been announced:

Citizens entering Nepal must stay in quarantine for 14 days at a location allocated by the local level governments. Following a swab sample test, citizens must also observe mandatory seven-day home quarantine.

Costs associated with air fare, hotel quarantine, airport quarantine and other travel-related expenses must be borne by the traveller.

Citizens wishing to return home must present a PCR report as proof that they have not been diagnosed with COVID-19. One copy is to be presented at the embassy, and another must be kept with the person at all times.

All travellers will undergo a temperature check at TIA, Kathmandu – passengers with temperature higher than 100.4-degree Fahrenheit will be taken to the isolation ward while others will be taken to a holding centre.

All travellers will have to download the MoHP ‘Hamro Swasthya’ app, and must register symptoms with the app regularly.

Passengers will be cleared to transfer to their district quarantine section after completing all formalities in the holding centre at Kathmandu.

All passengers must abide by rules and regulations concerning public health and safety.