M.K. Raghavan, Kozhikode MP, has requested Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to prioritise the vaccination of expatriates irrespective of age as vaccination is soon going to be a prerequisite for international travel.
In a letter to Mr. Vijayan, Mr. Raghavan has pointed out that several people from Kerala working abroad had come back home recently and could not return due to the pandemic situation in the country. Most of them are in the 18 to 45 age category, who have just now become eligible for vaccination. Getting vaccinated as early as possible is necessary for most of them to return to their jobs, he said, adding that many of them are apprehensive about losing their jobs if they did not return post-haste.
Besides, the number of expatriates who have lost their jobs and returned to Kerala are increasing day by day. Expatriates have been a major economic support system to the State for decades. The State’s revenue from abroad used to be growing at a rate of 5.5% every year, but it has come down by 23% recently. For a State that used to enjoy 19% of the total foreign income of the country, this is a huge loss, the MP said in the letter.
Mr. Raghavan pressed the need to support expatriates who have been severely hit by the pandemic-induced recession. The State should support them to ensure their job security abroad, he said.
The MP suggested a separate registration facility for expatriates to register for vaccination. Arrangements should be made for them to take both the doses of the vaccine in minimum interval in consultation with the medical fraternity so that they could return before their visas expire, he said.
