Thiruvananthapuram/ New Delhi: Kerala Chief Minister Oomen Chandy has sought the Centre’s help to bring home 118 nurses from his state stranded in strife-torn Libya. External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj held a meeting Tuesday to review the safety of Indians in Libya.
Drawn by better salaries, a large number of Indians work in Libya as hospital nurses, in schools/colleges and in construction. There were around 18,000 Indians in Libya, which has dwindled to around 6,000 now.
The Indian mission in Tripoli is in touch with 4,500-plus Indians there to facilitate their return, including around 750 nurses.
The CM suggested three options: to bring them to Mitiga international airport, the only one still functioning in Libya, taking them to the nearest port for sea evacuation, or taking them to Tunisia by land. The last is ruled out as heavy fighting is raging between rival militias.
