India Evacuates Nepali Citizens Multiple Times During International Crises

India, one of Nepal’s closest allies and neighbours since before its independence in 1947, has long been a major supporter of the Nepali people during times of crisis.

Despite some ups and downs in political relations, both countries share deep values, close ties, and warm relations. Few countries in the world enjoy an open border and visa-free travel like Nepal and India do.

More importantly, India has consistently assisted the government of Nepal and helped rescue Nepali citizens in difficult times, whether during earthquakes, climate disasters, or international conflicts. During times of need, New Delhi has stepped in to evacuate Nepali workers, students, or other professionals stranded abroad and brought them safely home.

According to former Foreign Secretary Madhu Raman Acharya, India’s support during international crises is a reassuring sign for Nepal. “India has the capacity to rescue Nepali citizens from abroad during crises. On the other hand, Nepal lacks the means and medium to do so,” Acharya said. “So, Nepal has been requesting India’s help during such times, and they have supported us. It is reassuring for Nepalis to be able to rely on India.”

The recent example of India’s support to Nepali citizens during a crisis was the rescue of  11 Nepalis from Iran after tensions rose between Israel and Iran. Under Operation Sindhu, India evacuated Indian, Nepali, and Sri Lankan citizens from Iran at the requests of Kathmandu and Colombo. The crisis was sparked by Israel’s Operation Rising Lion against Iran’s nuclear program, which led to Tehran’s response.

Earlier, in 2022, India evacuated both Indian and Nepali citizens from Ukraine under Operation Ganga after Russia-Ukraine tensions escalated. Likewise, in 2018, India helped rescue seven Nepali and three Indian girls from traffickers in Kenya. They were victims of an organised crime syndicate involved in human trafficking, freed with the help of the Kenyan police.

India also evacuated nine Indian citizens and 118 Nepalis from Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover in 2021. Under Operation Devi Shakti, the Indian Air Force operated multiple military and chartered flights from Kabul, rescuing many Nepalis who had been working as security guards at embassies and international organisations.

With the onset of civil war in Yemen in 2015, India evacuated over 170 Nepalis under Operation Raahat. In total, India rescued about 5,600 people, including 960 foreign nationals from more than 40 countries. During that time, Air India planes and navy ships were used to carry out the operations.

A decade ago, in 2014, during sectarian violence in Iraq, India agreed to evacuate Nepalis trapped there. “India is ready to assist Nepali nationals caught in Iraq strife at the request of the Nepal government,” said Syed Akbaruddin, then spokesperson at India’s Ministry of External Affairs. Nepal does not have a mission in Iraq, so a request was forwarded to India seeking help to evacuate its citizens.

That same year, at least 126 Nepalis were evacuated from Libya to neighbouring Tunisia with the help of the Indian Embassy in Tripoli. Since Nepal has no embassy in Libya, the Embassy in Egypt coordinated with the Indian Embassy to make this possible. In 2006, Nepal also requested India’s help to evacuate Nepalis stuck in Lebanon, which India successfully did.

Former Ambassador to India, Deep Kumar Upadhaya, noted that India has repeatedly helped Nepal rescue its people from abroad during international crises. “We share strong relations with India, they have helped us many times to bring our people back home during times of crisis,” he said. “This shows the strong bond between our two countries.”

India’s ongoing support in evacuating Nepali citizens during crises highlights the strong ties between the two neighbors. New Delhi’s timely assistance has provided crucial help to many Nepalis abroad, reflecting its regional role, and the deep trust in Nepal-India relations.