ERNAKULAM: Over 1.6 lakh expats have expressed interest in returning home to Kerala, hours after the state government introduced a web tool to gauge the numbers.
The Department of Non-Resident Keralites Affairs (NORKA), a nodal agency to liaise with expats, opened an online registration tool (www.registernorkaroots.org) late on Sunday for those who are keen to return once Indian airports resume operations after the covid-19 lockdown is lifted.
Over 40% of the registrations have come from United Arab Emirates, while the rest are from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and other countries in the Gulf.
About 10% of Kerala's 33 million population lives outside the state, primarily in West Asia. The registration process has no bearings upon their travel