MC EXCLUSIVE Govt works to count, secure Indian nationals in Iran amid tensions: sources

MEA data shows that by 2024, Iran had 10,320 NRIs.

The central government is trying to ascertain the number of Indian individuals in Iran as the conflict in the Middle East intensifies and is working to ensure a safe passage back home.

Sources said the Centre is working to count the exact number of workers in Iran, so that suitable measures can be taken to secure each of them. The government has already told the Iranian government to ensure the safety of Indian nationals, even as efforts are underway to evacuate those willing to return to India, two government officials said.

"We’re tracking Indian-origin nationals (including workers, students, NRIs, and Persons of Indian Origin) who are currently in Iran… trying to capture an accurate headcount. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) will then coordinate with its Iranian counterpart to take appropriate steps," a senior official told Moneycontrol.

As of today, about 10,000–12,000 Indian-origin nationals live in Iran, including workers who are not permanent residents and students, sources said.

The MEA data shows that in 2024 Iran had 10,320 Non-Resident Indians (NRIs), up 158 percent from 2018.

Evacuation efforts

The country had another 445 citizens of Indian origin. The country also had nearly 2,000 Indian students.

As of June 23, as many as 1,713 Indian nationals have been evacuated from Iran under 'Operation Sindhu', which was launched on June 18 to help Indian nationals willing to leave Iran. On June 19, the government launched a similar operation in Israel as well.

An MEA statement said that India accords the highest priority to the safety and security of Indian nationals abroad. "As part of the ongoing operation, the Indian Embassy in Iran has been assisting large numbers of Indian nationals in moving from areas seeing increased hostilities to relatively safer areas within the country and to subsequently evacuate them using the available and feasible options," the statement dated June 18 said.

Under the operation, the Indian government is also assisting Sri Lankan and Nepalese citizens to leave Israel and Iran.

Meanwhile, officials said the central government is working to build a system to capture data a system to capture data of Indian workers in a more efficient and timely manner. e-Migrate portal, for instance, is being seen as a medium to track the movement of Indian workers working abroad.

"A large number of workers who take the legal route to go abroad for work can be tracked by e-Migrate. The government is working on increasing the portal’s utility and is in touch with stakeholders, including industry and academia, for consultation," another official said.