The Indian Consulate in Dubai has issued an advisory asking Indian expatriates based there to avoid visiting the mission for consular services and instead use online means like a WhatsApp number, email or a helpline number to check the spread of Covid-19. A section of the 2.6 million Indians, many of them also engaged in blue collar jobs, based there are, however, concerned over the move as a visit to the mission is necessitated only when the online means are exhausted.
“Members of the Indian community who wish to visit the Consulate for any consular services are advised to avoid such visits unless absolutely necessary. They should, instead, make use of the various electronic platforms offered by the Consulate without having to physically visit the office,” the mission said in the advisory issued on Thursday on Twitter.
Being the largest expatriate community, it is the responsibility of all the Indian nationals residing in the UAE to strictly comply with COVID preventive measures and guidelines issued by the UAE health authorities from time to time such as wearing face masks at all times, maintaining social distancing and avoid public gatherings, it further said.
Many of the expatriates there are labourers and will now be left with no grievance redressal mechanism when online mechanisms are not able to resolve their issues, a PIO settled in UAE said, adding why would a person visit the consulate if all the issues are settled online.
Another expat who did not wish to be identified said it is illogical to restrict the Indians from visiting the consulate in the name of preventing Covid-19. There are always means to regulate the flow of visitors to a place and instead a home service should be launched to cater to such Indians who are under any kind of distress or an emergency due to lack of consular access, he further said, adding the rich and mighty cannot have exclusive access to the consulate.
The Indian mission houses a help centre for distressed Indians –Pravasi Bharatiya Sahayata Kendra (PBSK), that runs a 24x7 toll free helpline number 800 46342 of PBSK there are cases wherein physical interaction is also required to resolve the issues, the expats said.
Other online options to connect to the mission are sending emails at pbsk.dubai@mea.gov.in or send messages on a WhatsApp number +971-54-3090571 besides using the PBSK Dubai Mobile Application.