Students stuck at Poland border, India looks at Budapest route

With hundreds of Indian students stranded in freezing temperatures at the Ukraine-Poland border, the government on Sunday said it has identified an alternative train route from Uzhhorod, a city in western Ukraine, to the Hungarian capital of Budapest.

Acknowledging that evacuation of Indians through the Poland border has emerged as a “problem area”. With lakhs of people, including citizens of Ukraine and other foreign nationals, having chosen that route to safety — Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said, “It’s not an organised situation, it’s a conflict zone. Many of our people have been there for a long time and they are in a very difficult situation. We fully empathise with them and we have been working round the clock to see what options we can provide. One of the options in the event we cannot make much progress into Poland, we come down to Uzhhorod and from there every two hours there is a train which leaves for Budapest, Hungary… This is an option we are recommending to our people.”

BUDAPEST ROUTE

The journey time to Budapest will be approximately seven to eight hours. Including exit procedures, said Shringla, who also called in the envoys of Russia and Ukraine in New Delhi. Separately during the day and conveyed India’s “deep concerns” regarding the safety and security of its citizens, particularly the students.

“I have shared with them the locations where Indian students and citizens are concentrated for ensuring their protection. Both ambassadors did take note of our concerns and assured us that they are very cognisant of the safety and security of Indian citizens.

In a fresh advisory late Sunday, the Embassy of India in Warsaw (Poland) said. We have arranged 10 buses at Shehyni on Ukrainian side of the border. It will take Indian citizens to other border checkpoints from transit entry into Poland. These buses will be operational from 28th February 2022 and will drive through the other border checkpoints, e.g. Krakowiec and Budomierz, and will drive them to the residential accommodation arranged by the Embassy at Rszeszow, Poland.”