Indian workers who have traveled to Saudi Arabia legally will be allowed to regularize their visa status, get new jobs or to return to India if they choose to register with the Saudi authorities during the three-month grace period.
The offer was jointly agreed by Saudi and Indian officials during the first meeting of the working group here.
The joint panel was convened yesterday at the Saudi Ministry of Labor. The meeting was attended by Deputy Minister for Labor Affairs Ahmad S. Al-Humaidan, Deputy Minister for International Affairs Ahmed F. Al Fahaid and Deputy Minister for Labor Relations Ziyad I. Alsaigh. The Indian delegation to the meeting was led by Sibi George, minister and deputy chief of mission at the Indian Embassy.
George said that the joint panel discussed re-employment of overstaying Indian workers in Saudi Arabia by their taking advantage of the facilities offered by the Ministry of Labor including services of the newly set up mega-recruiting companies.
He urged Indians affected by the Nitaqat program and those overstaying in Saudi Arabia to register their names at the Ministry of Labor website www.redyellow.com.sa. The site is being visited regularly by various Saudi companies to look for Indian workers.
George said the ministry will “issue shortly a series of measures aimed at helping the expatriate workers to regularize their stay in Saudi Arabia or to return to their countries.”
He said that the joint panel will continue discussions next week.
The Ministry of Labor has made it clear that those who have legal cases against them would need to settle such cases before their return to India.
It clarified that in Saudi Arabia “it is illegal for any employer/companies to keep the passports or iqamas of their employees.”
The embassy has also been collecting emergency travel certificate applications from those Indians currently overstaying in Saudi Arabia so that their cases can be taken up with the Saudi authorities within the framework of applicable Saudi laws, said the statement.
It said that the EC applications can be sent by post along with a copy of the passport, residence permit and any other document to establish the Indian nationality to EC Section, Embassy of India, B-1 Diplomatic Quarter, PO Box 94387, Riyadh — 11693, Saudi Arabia.
The statement said that the embassy seeks the support of volunteers from the community. A meeting of the social workers and volunteers will be held at 11 a.m. today (at the embassy to brief the outcome of the first meeting of the joint group.
Labor Ministry, Indian officials urge illegals to register
