New Delhi, Dec 12 – The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) told Parliament that there has been no sharp rise in the number of Indian citizens who die while abroad, and that a total of 54,511 mortal remains were brought home between 2016 and 2025.
The clarification came in a written reply from External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar to a Lok Sabha question about the timelines, hurdles and procedures for repatriating bodies.
According to data presented to the House, the MEA recorded 4,167 repatriations in 2016, 4,222 in 2017, 4,205 in 2018, 5,291 in 2019, 5,321 in 2020, 5,834 in 2021, 5,946 in 2022, 6,532 in 2023, 7,096 in 2024 and 5,897 up to October 2025.
The ministry reiterated that Indian missions worldwide follow a detailed Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to assist families, liaise with local authorities and ensure that transportation complies with the laws of the host country.
It added that a fixed timetable for repatriation cannot be imposed because the time required varies with the cause of death, the host‑country’s administrative processes, paperwork, and whether the next of kin can provide consent.
Typically, natural deaths are processed in three to 14 days, but those involving accidental or suspicious circumstances often face extra delays due to police investigations, autopsies or difficulties in confirming identity—sometimes DNA testing becomes necessary.
The government also highlighted the major strains on bereaved families: high travel costs, slow issuance of local police or medical reports and uncertainty over the exact documents needed.
To ease these challenges, missions have been instructed to treat all repatriations as urgent, to issue No Objection Certificates (NOC) even on public holidays, and to keep a dedicated 24/7 consular helpline open for immediate assistance.
In addition, the Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF) can be tapped by families who are unable to afford the transportation expenses.
Each mission is staffed with sufficient consular officers to handle emergency repatriations and to coordinate with airlines and local authorities in order to speed the process.
sas/dpb
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