The Consulate General of India has issued an advisory regarding fraudulent agents who charge“exorbitant amount” for the repatriation of the mortal remains of Indian citizens to their home country.

In the advisory the Consulate has said that it extends assistance“through its panel of community associations under ICWF” for the repatriation of mortal remains "strictly on means tested basis" in accordance with the Government of India guidelines.

According to this, when a deceased does not have any employer/sponsor or when the insurance policy does not cover the cost of repatriation of mortal remains, the families do not require to incur any expenditure.

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A UAE federal law mandates that the employer should bear all the costs of preparing and transporting the corpse of the deceased worker to his home country or place of residence, if the family so requests.

In recent weeks, some community members took to social media, claiming some agents were charging illegal and "very high fees" from families for transporting the mortal remains of their kin.

India-based KM Basheer accused fraudulent agents of charging twice the amount required for transporting the remains.“The expense for sending one body to India is roughly Dh5,000,” he said.“Some of these agents charge up to Dh10,000 for their service.”

One UAE-based social worker who did not wish to be named welcomed the move by CGI to issue the advisory.“There were some agents who would charge families for ambulance services and for issuing certificates, even though those were not chargeable,” he told Khaleej Times.

"So, there was some truth in the accusations. I am glad that the Consulate has decided to act on this as it would streamline procedures and ensure that bereaved families are not taken advantage of during their time of sorrow.”

The Consulate advised Indians to rely only on official information of Consulate General of India, Dubai & Northern Emirates.

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