The Indian Embassy in Tehran has announced it will help evacuate Nepali and Sri Lankan nationals from Iran, amid rising regional tensions following the escalation of the Israel-Iran conflict.
The decision comes in response to formal requests from the governments of Nepal and Sri Lanka.
“On request of the Governments of Nepal and Sri Lanka, the Indian Embassy’s evacuation efforts in Iran will also cover Citizens of Nepal and Sri Lanka,” the embassy said in a post on X on Saturday, June 21, morning.
The embassy has asked the Nepali and Sri Lankan nationals to connect through its Telegram channel or emergency contact numbers.
“The citizens of Nepal and Sri Lanka may urgently reach out to the Embassy, either on the Telegram channel or over the emergency contact numbers.+989010144557; +989128109115; +989128109109,” reads another tweet .
Escalating Conflict
The move follows efforts by governments across the globe to evacuate thousands of their citizens caught in the worsening hostilities between Israel and Iran. According to AFP, many foreign nationals have been fleeing by road or air through third countries, after Israel launched a major bombing campaign targeting Iranian military and nuclear facilities last week, prompting retaliatory strikes from Tehran.
Airspace of both countries remains close, as they continue to exchange missile fire.
Nepal’s Foreign Minister, Dr. Arzu Rana Deuba, said on Friday the government was prepared to take “all necessary steps” to ensure the safety and evacuation of Nepalis in both countries.
“The government is fully prepared to rescue those willing to return,” said Deuba, during a joint ministerial meeting that included officials from four ministries–Labour, Employment and Social Security; Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation; Home Affairs; and the Foreign Affairs.
She informed that the Nepali Embassy in Israel was actively coordinating with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) and has opened registration for citizens seeking repatriation.
Added Deuba: “It is also Israel’s responsibility to help Nepalis who have gone there under the G2G (Government-to-Government) programme return home safely or move them to safer areas. We have formally asked the Israeli authorities to facilitate safe passage for Nepalis via border crossings to neighbouring countries.”
Labour Ministry Involved
Labour Minister Sharat Singh Bhandari said his office was in communication with Nepalis currently in the region and confirmed that labour permits for new deployments to Israel have been suspended.
“The government must prepare for the safe return of those willing to return,” he said.
Advisory and Outreach
Nepal has urged both Iran and Israel to de-escalate the conflict and seek diplomatic solutions for the sake of regional and global stability.
“Our missions in Doha and Tel Aviv are in contact with Nepali communities in Iran and Israel,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement issued on June 13 . A travel advisory followed on 15 June, urging Nepalis to remain vigilant and avoid travel to Israel and conflict-prone parts of the Middle East.
With commercial air routes closed, the MoFA has directed its missions across the Gulf to assist in facilitating emergency visas and travel to safer locations. An online portal has been launched to collect details from citizens who wish to return. As of Friday evening, over 600 Nepalis had registered, according to the state-owned RSS news agency.
The Ministry has also asked its missions in Israel and Qatar (which oversees Iran) to remain in close coordination with local authorities, humanitarian organisations, and Nepali communities, and to provide regular updates to Kathmandu.
Earlier this week, Foreign Minister Deuba met Israeli Ambassador to Nepal, Shmulik Arie Bass, requesting coordinated efforts to safeguard Nepali nationals amid the crisis.
