A prominent Indian politician has called upon the Saudi government to provide more time for Indians working in the Kingdom to legalize their status, considering the strong relations between the two Asian economies.

“We will do everything possible for the support of Indian workers in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries, as they play a big role in strengthening our economy,” said E.T. Mohammed Basheer, a member of the Indian Parliament and former Kerala education minister.

Speaking to Arab News, he commended Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah for extending the amnesty, which ended on Nov. 3.

“The amnesty helped a large number of Indian workers to legalize their status, change sponsorships and professions and get better jobs. We are extremely grateful to King Abdullah for his humanitarian gesture. We are hopeful that the amnesty would be extended further for the benefit of Saudi businesses and foreign workers,” he said.

Thousands of undocumented Indian workers still remain in Saudi Arabia because they were unable to correct their residency and labor status during the seven-month amnesty.

The exodus of Keralites from Saudi Arabia has sent shockwaves across the south Indian state, creating a new wave of economic depression. Prices of real estate have gone down and business activities have slowed down. This would worsen the economy of Kerala, as it depends heavily on the foreign remittances of its people. Basheer said Saudi Arabia has been hosting millions of Indian workers for the past several years. “This helped many poor Indians, especially Keralites feed their families and improve their living conditions,” he said. “Saudi Arabia is now conducting a cleaning operation. They are doing what any other country will do. We cannot blame them. We can only request they extend the amnesty. They have already given seven months for workers to legalize their status.” He said the return of expats would have a negative impact on Kerala’s economy. “It will be difficult to provide jobs for returning expats. However, the government will provide them with financial support for their self-employment initiatives. It is now talking about rehabilitation packages.”

Rural Development Minister KC Joseph, who is in charge of NORKA, announced on Monday that the government would meet the travel expenses of Saudi returnees. He also indicated that the government would operate chartered flights to transport them.

Joseph pointed out the government would not be able to do anything for those expats who had failed to register with the Indian missions in Saudi Arabia.