While many Indians are hoping to return home from different parts of the world to escape the hardships unleashed by the COVID-19 outbreak, a handful of countries have proven a haven for their residents.
From relaxed employment norms to dispensing financial support, these countries have succeeded in winning the faith of their foreign workforce.
The New Indian Express spoke to Indians settled in three countries to find out why they have been happier finding themselves there during the outbreak which has claimed over half a million lives worldwide so far.
The Czech Republic
Zainul Abid has been working as a supervisor at a US-based MNC in Czech Republic's Brno for two years.
The former Communist bloc state was quick to react when the pandemic started wreaking havoc in Europe and the 26-year-old Malappuram native feels it is the government's vigilance and people's determination that has made a difference.
"When the first wave of outbreak hit Europe, I was desperate to go home as the German border is just a couple of hours away from here," he said.
"But the government was quick to react. Masks were made mandatory in the Czech Republic when the situation started to get out of hand in Italy. It was only on May 26 that this rule was relaxed in public places. The borders were quickly closed and the frequency of trams and other public transport modes was cut drastically," he added.
People above 60 years were given exclusive time slots to go shopping and places of entertainment including clubs, pubs and eateries closed by 11:00 PM. The strategy was to shut down the country entirely to outsiders and to restrict movement within the borders to a bare minimum.
The Czechs have buckled up for the worst as the virus is likely to make a comeback in the winter. However, the country is almost back to normalcy with the situation under control for now.
'I am working from home since March and most agents do the same although our office has reopened. Gatherings of (up to) 500 people are now allowed and religious institutions have also been opened," Zainul said.
"Since insurance is mandatory for all foreign workers, I have got the worst-case scenario covered," he said.
Canada
Sisira Suresh, a research scholar in Canada's Ottawa, was about to come home for a vacation in April when the pandemic struck. She said her husband had to take a mandatory pay cut which hurt them a little in the beginning but they managed to cope.
"The Canadian government declared an emergency and closed every non-essential workplace. They offered a huge financial package to everyone affected by the pandemic and people started receiving it in a week. They considered everyone from students to senior citizens. Many banks offered interest-free loans to business enterprises," she said.
The lockdown drastically hit the plans of non-Canadians, especially students. However, most of them were provided with satisfactory alternatives by institutions.
Explaining the life of PhD scholars during the lockdown, Sisira said, "Each member of our group was affected differently. It is manageable for theoreticians but experimentalists are struggling as labs and work stations are closed."
Mithun Mohan, a BBA student in Ontario, who works part-time to meet his expenses, said his company dispensed employee insurance soon after the emergency was declared. This ensured those like him won't suffer financially.
His university pushed the beginning of the next semester to September and made the current period a work term.
"We can look for possible internships or other job opportunities. Normally, we need to submit a certificate from our employer at the college by the end of the term. But now a job search record will do as finding work is difficult," he said.
New Zealand
Alappuzha native Mariamma Babu travelled to New Zealand earlier this year to join her daughter, who was on maternity leave, in New Zealand. When the pandemic struck the island nation, Maria said her daughter, a nurse, was asked to remain at home as she had just had a child.
"People were little careless in the beginning but their attitude changed very soon. The government was very thoughtful and implemented the lockdown very systematically," she said.
Financially-backward residents received government loans to buy vehicles as public transport wasn't available. Uber employees, like her son-in-law, got a relief package for three months in their bank account.
Before malls were closed, people were asked to stock up and people got ample time to prepare for the lockdown.
"People had to register online to attend holy mass at Churches. It was also streamed live online for others as entry was restricted. Online activities and creative exercises were sent to families with children, while health data of toddlers were collected as well.
"The government here genuinely makes you feel safe. So, we don't feel like going home right now," she said.