“India is thankful for the gesture and will assist in sending home the Indians who had failed to return home after their visas expired,” Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi told a press conference at the Consulate General of India on Thursday.
Ravi, who also later addressed a public reception held in his honor at the consulate, said he would hold high-level meetings with the Kingdom’s authorities during his visit to Riyadh from Friday and discuss the amnesty decision as well as certain labor issues facing Indian workers.
When his attention was drawn to the issue of “huroob” with some sponsors declaring their workers as absconding in order to get papers from authorities to get new visas and make money, the minister said: “I have heard that some Indian workers are facing this problem and will take up this matter with Saudi authorities. I know that the Saudi government will never accept this illegal business and will take action against such visa traders,” he said. In fact, he added, he had received such complaints and this issue would also be raised in his official discussion in Riyadh.
The amnesty for illegal residents from all countries will be in place over the next six months. Those who fail to take advantage of the amnesty will face imprisonment and fines.
Indian Consul General Sayeed Ahmed Baba said the consulate was still awaiting an official communication about the amnesty decision. “Whatever information we have is through the media. We will be meeting concerned officials next week and then streamline our efforts for the benefit of overstaying Indians. The consulate will open a special ‘May I help you’ counter to help the overstayers and organize their return home under the amnesty plan,” Baba said.
The minister added that his ministry, in cooperation with the diplomatic mission, was considering plans to extend legal assistance to needy workers. The problems of housemaids have been solved to a great extent with the joint efforts of New Delhi and its mission here, after fixing the entitlement of minimum salary. He assured that a large chunk of the contribution toward the ever-expanding Community Welfare Fund collected through consular services, would be spent on the community welfare here.
Ravi also gave a briefing on the next Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, an annual exercise by his ministry to engage the diaspora. The overseas Indians Day events will be held Jan. 7-9 as always to coincide with the anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi’s return to India from South Africa. Earlier, in October, the ministry will organize this year’s mini Pravasi Divas in Durban, in association with the provincial government of South Africa to acknowledge Gandhi’s South Africa link.
In the January event, the ministry will focus on youth, trying to get the younger generation of Indians abroad to know and invest in the country of their forefathers. And the ministry will showcase the opportunities in eight Northeast states.
According to him, remittances from non-resident Indians amounted to $53 billion, 36 percent of it from the Gulf alone. “Several investment avenues are available in different states under the public private partnership program, which can be considered by the NREs,” he said, adding that a forthcoming meeting of state chief ministers will focus on such investments.
Asked about the hardships faced by students in pursuing higher studies here and admission problems in India’s professional institutions due to high donations, Ravi said: “There are any number of government institutions in Kerala and other parts of India where expatriate students can seek admission for higher and professional courses.”
In a separate interview, Ravi told Arab News that New Delhi would also negotiate with Air India and Saudi Arabian Airlines to transport the affected Indians at the lowest possible fare. “We’ll make use of the Community Welfare Fund at the diplomatic mission for those overstayers who need financial assistance, especially to purchase tickets,” he added. According to unofficial reports, there are nearly 200,000 Indian overstayers in Saudi Arabia, especially those who overstayed their Haj, Umrah and visit visas.
“Of course, our embassy and consulates will need more employees to help these large numbers to leave the Kingdom within six months. I will meet with officials at the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi to discuss the prospects of making temporary appointments of staff and speed up procedures,” he said. He hoped that the mission will make use of the services of local Indian organizations for the purpose.
Asked about the Indian government’s efforts to reduce the problem of Indian overstayers in the Kingdom, the minister said, “We have been telling our people not to go to Saudi Arabia and other countries without proper work visas and necessary documents.” However, he pointed out that some recruitment agencies were still sending people to the Gulf without proper visas or jobs, creating problems for workers as well as governments.
Overseas Indian Cultural Congress President Pappatta Kunhi Muhammad said his organization would open a help desk in Sharafiya, Jeddah to provide necessary assistance to overstayers such as filling of forms and completing consulate procedures.
Speaking about the purpose of his visit, Ravi said: “I came to meet with officials of various associations here in order to find possible solutions for the various problems facing Indian workers. We need more staff at Indian missions and greater representation of Keralites being the largest single Indian community in the Kingdom.”
He emphasized the need for establishing an Indian school in Makkah. “There are many Indian families living in Makkah. They need a school there. It’s a legitimate demand.” Regarding higher educational institutions, he said it could be realized with the support of the Saudi government and NRI businessmen and other wealthy people
He commended the Saudi government’s services to Indian workers. “Saudi-Indian relations have improved considerably, especially after King Abdullah’s visit to New Delhi in January 2006. Bilateral relations, including trade exchange, have increased. Our Prime Minister maintains warm relations with King Abdullah,” the minister said, adding that the Indian government would do everything possible to strengthen these relations further. Replying to another question, Ravi said there was no decrease in Indian manpower export to Saudi Arabia. The number of people recruited in 2009 was lower than the previous years because of economic reasons.
