Indians get temporaryrelief from Nitaqat in Saudi Arabia Thousands of Indians, including alarge number of Keralites, facing deportation from Saudi Arabia, have heaved a sigh of relief with the Saudi authorities extending the three-month grace period granted ‘illegal migrants’ to legalise their work and residency status. The deadline for expatriates without valid work permits to leave the country was to expire on Wednesday. The extension ordered by the King of Saudi Arabia on Tuesday allows them time up to November 4 to legalisetheir stay. Minister for Overseas Indians Affairs Vayalar Ravi said the extension would be a big relief toa large number of Indians, who continue to live in the Kingdom with the hope of finding new jobs. He termed it a good gesture from the Saudi authorities. Though India feared that the Nitaqat would push out a large number of Indians from Saudi, only about 35,000 Indians have returned so far, according to official sources. More than 65,000 Indians have been able to regularise their residency status after the grace period was granted by the Saudi authorities. Kerala, which accounts for nearly 50 per cent of the two million Indians working in Saudi, had estimated return of 100,000 people but the number of those who have actually returned so far is less than 7,000. Non-Resident Keralites Affairs Minister K C Joseph said a large number of Keralites have been clinging on in Saudi hoping that they will be able to find jobs that do not attract the provisions of the Nitaqat. The minister said the governmentwill extend all possible help to them. The minister said that many Malayalee entrepreneurs and Indian organisations were helping the affected people to find jobs. More than 3,000 Keralites, who were among those identified to return to the country, were provided jobs with the help of local companies, including some Malayali manpower firms. Joseph said the Saudi government’s gesture would give all workers without valid work permits the opportunity to legalise their stay in the Kingdom and allow others to return without harm to their future job prospects. He said India was indebted to the Saudi government for this gracious gesture. Joseph hoped that other GCC countries, which have launched the naturalisation process, would also adopt the Saudi model. He said that the situation was very worrisome in Kuwait, where even expatriates with valid documents were being thrown out. The minister said those who are forced to return to the state would be rehabilitated by the government. He said a comprehensive rehabilitation package formulatedby the government was under theconsideration of the state cabinet. — news@khaleejtimes
Posted on: Thu, 04 Jul 2013 10:31:26 +0000
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