Around 70,000 Indonesian workers have so far visited their consulate to correct their status or to return home and the numbers are still on the rise. Of these, around 20 percent want to return home while 80 percent are seeking to legalize their status to continue working in the Kingdom.
Ibrahim Nour, vice consul of information and culture at the Indonesian Consulate, said they are focused on correcting the status of their workers, but the process is slow and requires more time.
“We are committed to protecting the workers and keeping them on their work. Indonesian recruitment agencies in Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam are working in coordination with labor offices and are providing work contracts in accordance with Saudi rules and regulations,” he said.
Nour said the new work contracts comprise higher salaries, medical insurance and the provision of a day-off for domestic workers, which he said is very important for the workers’ protection.
The official said that they understand and respect the Kingdom’s policies, but “there should be a humanitarian gesture to extend the amnesty period.”
“We have requested for an extension to the July 3 deadline to solve the problems of thousands of workers who will not be able to correct their status before the amnesty period ends. Many consulates will be disappointed if the deadline is not extended,” he said, adding that in the past two weeks only 37 Indonesians out of 500 who registered to return home have been successful.
“How will it happen in time? Our turn at the Tarheel is tomorrow but we share it with the Yemenis and Nepalese. Our workers are under pressure. As such, how will we finish the paperwork, fingerprinting and other procedures so that they can go back in time?” Nour asked.
The consulate has increased it staff numbers to beat the deadline.
“But it appears to be very difficult and impossible as there are several things that need to be done before obtaining the exit stamp.”
Indonesians feel the pressure
