The joint committee comprising officials from the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) and heads of four consulates, namely Pakistan, Bangladesh, India and Indonesia, met for the second time to discuss proposals to assist their nationals to meet the amnesty deadline.

It was decided at the meeting to send a letter to Interior Minister Prince Mohammed bin Naif detailing the concerns expressed by the members of the joint committee. Among the most important recommendations of the committee is the appeal to the minister to extend the grace period by six months.

According to Pakistani Consul General Aftab Khokher, the letter highlights requests from several committee members for the simplification of procedures for the expatriates to obtain their final exit visas. The letter also includes a suggestion to open branch offices to reduce the workload of the Passport Department. Khokher expressed concerns about the fate of nationals who cannot rectify their work status or depart before the July 3 deadline given the advent of Ramadan.

Indian Consul General Faiz Ahmed Kidwai said there is an urgent need to extend the amnesty period for another three months after Haj in order to correct the status of a large number of irregular expatriates.