Panaji, May 4 (IANS): The Goa government has begun the process of registering all Nepalese nationals in the state, to facilitate their repatriation in the near future due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said on Monday.

Sawant said that all Nepalese nationals in the state should register themselves with the local panchayat and municipal bodies and would be repatriated back to Nepal, once the central government issues standard operating procedures for the same.

"They should register with panchayat and municipalities. Once the SOP is formulated, they will be repatriated," Sawant said.

According to a fresh directive, all Nepalese in the state have been urged to register themselves with local self government bodies with complete address details of their hometowns. Most of the Nepalese nationals in the state are employed in the hospitality industry as well as in the state's numerous offshore and onshore casinos.

Sawant also said that despite more than 6,000 odd foreigners (mostly European) who had been repatriated since the lockdown began on March 24, several foreign nationals had continued to stay on in Goa.

The Chief Minister urged all owners of guesthouses, hotels and homes who had foreign tenants to register their presence with the local authorities.

"We need to do this so that we know from which country and how many foreigners are staying in Goa," Sawant said.