Egyptian expatriates in the Kingdom seeking concessions under the amnesty came in a trickle initially. But with the grace period set to end in just five days, they have begun to throng the country’s missions in hundreds.
Egyptian Consul General Adel El-Alfy said about 80 percent of the applicants were seeking correction in their employment status. Only 20 percent have opted to return home. Those wishing to go home are mostly illegals who stayed back after the expiry of their Haj or Umrah visas and a small number of runaway workers.
Saying that the Egyptian Consulate had extended working hours to meet the deadline, El-Alfy said the mission was also putting up a large air-conditioned tent for the convenience of the applicants. Mission officials were visiting major towns in western and southern provinces to provide consular services. Authorized representatives have been appointed to collect forms and forward it to Jeddah, the Egyptian diplomat said.
El-Alfy said the Egyptian Consulate had organized four job fairs for its nationals on its premises. Several Egyptian professional and community organizations were playing a critical role to ensure that their countrymen secured jobs.
The positive response from employers was also helping in Egyptian expatriates' securing jobs in the Kingdom, he said, adding that Egyptian legal advisers were doing a commendable job by helping workers who were in need of legal assistance to rectify their status.
Affirming that the consulate officials were closely monitoring all cases of exit clearance after biometric recording at the deportation center in Jeddah, he said: “I myself visited the deportation center twice to meet with its director to expedite the process.”
El-Alfy was of the opinion that the limited resources available at the center could be the cause for some delays.
On the requests from several missions for extension of the grace period, El-Alfy said: “Extending the grace period in the month of Ramadan will not achieve any purpose since everyone will be fasting and participating in spiritual activities. Moreover, the summer season will be at its peak during Ramadan making it difficult for expatriates to move around. Yes, if there is improved logistics support, then the extension will make sense.”
