The Riyadh deportation center (Tarheel) has started the deportation process of overstaying Indian workers, who have obtained papers from the Indian Embassy seeking repatriation.

Sibi George, deputy chief of mission, Indian Embassy, told Arab News on Friday: “The embassy collected 700 applications under its special registration drive from overstaying Indian nationals who had certain labor issues, out of which 183 expatriates have made the final exit so far (110 on Wednesday and 73 on Thursday).”

“Many of them had their iqamas but did not have any exit or entry details, and hence, were provided with emergency certificates (ECs) to make their exit,” he said.

The embassy launched a special registration drive in mid October to assist overstaying nationals in the Kingdom, and a large number of them turned up to correct their status or obtain final exit before the expiry of the grace period on Nov 3.

The embassy has arranged Indian school buses to help its nationals. Besides, embassy-registered volunteers are also accompanying them to Tarheel for assistance.

Speaking to Arab News, Shaji Alapuzha, a registered volunteer, said most of the Indian expats who had been granted ECs had not visited home for the past 8-10 years.

George said that Sunday and Monday had been earmarked for Indian nationals who had registered with the embassy to approach Tarheel for processing of their exit with the assistance of embassy volunteers. “The ten year ban on the return of undocumented workers hold good,” he said.

He said that for almost a year, the embassy had been working closely with the community to fully utilize the grace period announced by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah. With the active support of more than 600 volunteers registered with the embassy and the Indian community schools, it could effectively utilize the grace period and so far, more than 1.4 million Indians availed of the concessions, he said.

Meanwhile, Indian ambassador Hamid Ali Rao will be meeting the volunteers registered with the embassy for an interactive session on Saturday (Nov. 30, 2013), at the embassy premises to discuss the situation after the end of the grace period on Nov 3.

Rao will also discuss the labor agreement to be signed between India and Saudi Arabia.