Indian missions tolocate, help illegals

(MENAFN- Arab News)  More than 92,000 undocumented Indian workers approached the Indian diplomatic missions in the Kingdom for emergency exit certificates during the first phase of the grace period, said Indian Ambassador Hamid Ali Rao, while speaking in New Delhi, yesterday. Rao said India is closely working with the Kingdom to correct the status of the remaining workers and, at the same time, streamline the visa regime to check fraudulent contractors. "No Indian worker will remain illegal after Nov. 3, the last date of the second phase of the amnesty announced by the Saudi government," said Sibi George, charge d'affaires, while commenting on Rao's remarks. "India does not want any irregular worker, as illegal workers would face arrest, jail sentences, huge fines and deportation with a ban on their return to GCC countries after Nov. 3," he said. He said Indian missions in Riyadh and Jeddah together with the temporary office set up in Dammam have issued about 60,000 emergency travel documents to Indian workers so far. The number of women seeking travel documents did not exceed even 100, he said. "The Indian Embassy is still receiving some 100 requests daily," he said, adding that the embassy will continue to provide assistance at deportation centers, airports and labor offices around the Kingdom. The deadline for expatriates without valid work permits to leave the country expired on July 3. The extension ordered by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah allows them time up to Nov. 3 to legalize their status. According to the Ministry of Labor, 3.5 million workers, including Indians, have corrected their legal status since May 10. "Our aim now is to reach small cities and villages to find out undocumented Indian workers and assist them to regularize their status or repatriate them before the end of the second phase of amnesty period," said George. He said that a large number of Indian workers, who either returned to their original sponsors or obtained jobs with other sponsors, withdrew their applications for travel documents during the first phase of amnesty. "Contrary to the perception that there will be mass exodus of Indians in view of the implementation of new Saudi labor law, a total of 2.8 million workers are currently in the Kingdom besides an additional net inflow of 10,000 since March this year," said Ambassador Rao. Nearly 15,000 Indians in Saudi Arabia have found new jobs after the Indian diplomatic missions took up proactive measures to help the expatriates. "Let me thank King Abdullah for adopting a humanitarian approach to the implementation of Nitaqat program and providing an opportunity to all overstaying Indians to correct their status or to leave the country," said George. He also thanked volunteers. "Without their support we would not have been able to achieve what we achieved to date," said George, adding that the Indian community schools have also been in the forefront of this massive exercise. He said the embassy had set up a special cell to cater to the requirements of women and housemaids who approach the embassy.