India has welcomed the royal decree issued by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah extending the amnesty period for illegal expatriates by four months.
“We are thankful to the Saudi government for its care for the expatriates. We had not made any formal request but we were confident that the deadline will be extended,” said E. Ahamed, India’s junior foreign minister.
Indian authorities have asked its citizens to make maximum use of the facility to acquire valid documents like visas and passports and change their sponsorship or find new jobs to stay back in the Kingdom.
“I appreciate the sympathy shown by the Saudis toward the guest workers,” said Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi. “I have directed the embassy officials to extend help to all those in distress. I have also asked Air India not to overcharge the returning migrants.”
The southern state of Kerala, which heavily depends on overseas remittances for its economic sustenance, is most relieved by the extension. The help desks at the state’s three international airports have reported details of 9,281 returnees (6,636 of them from the Muslim-dominated Malappuram district alone) utilizing the three-month amnesty.
“I have asked the embassy officials to convey my gratitude to the Saudi authorities. This will take the India-Saudi ties to new heights,” said Oommen Chandy, the state’s chief minister. “The Saudi authorities had accepted all our requests in this regard and we are indebted to them for this gracious gesture.”
‘This will take Saudi-India ties to new heights’
