Riyadh, Oct 23: Non Resident Indian workers in Saudi Arabia were assured here Tuesday that Indian embassy would rectify their status before the Nov. 3 deadline.
Hamid Ali Rao, the Indian ambassador, said at a press conference here on the amnesty process that all Indian applicants would get their documentation sorted out.
“We will continue our efforts until the last day to ensure that no Indian stays here illegally after Nov. 3. We have just concluded a special drive to register and help those who do not have any documents.”
“I also want to alert you about attempts by some vested interests to create panic within the community after the grace period ends. There is no need for panic. We have been in control and will continue to be in control of the situation. We will continue to engage with the Saudi authorities at all levels to ensure the welfare of all our brothers and sisters in Saudi Arabia,” he said.
Rao thanked the Saudi leadership for extending the grace period from July to help expatriates legalize their status.
“The grace period has helped many people go home or correct their status without any penalties and with no ban on their return. This is a major achievement.”
“Indians have benefited from the Saudi program to streamline its labor market. The Saudi authorities have adopted a humanitarian approach in implementing their program. Indians have been the most preferred community in Saudi Arabia and at the end of the grace period, Indians will continue to be the preferred community.”
Rao said that since the grace period began, 77,054 Indians received emergency travel documents, with over 95 percent of this total receiving final exit visas from the Saudi government.
“The rest of the people are in the process of getting their final exit visas. We also estimate that over 95 percent of those who got their exit visas have already left the country. We urge others to approach the Saudi authorities before Nov. 3 so that there are no illegal Indians staying in the Kingdom.”
“According to our figures, more than 1 million Indians have used the concessions to correct their status. Since the beginning of the grace period, 359,997 Indians transferred their services, 355,035 changed their job titles and 466,689 renewed their licenses.”
He said the emergency travel documents were issued free of charge to all Indians.
He called on Indian expatriates to help their fellow nationals regardless of sectarian, religious, regional and linguistic differences. He thanked the volunteers who helped the embassy during this period.
Rao said the embassy organized a major job fair with the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which included 500 companies and 8,000 workers. He said that Saudi Arabia and India would soon sign a broad labor agreement to protect Indian workers in the Kingdom.
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