RIYADH: GHAZANFAR ALI KHAN | Arab News Staff I Wednesday 22 May 2013
The Ministry of Interior has assured expatriate Indian workers in
the Kingdom of their assistance in mitigating their problems following
the implementation of the new Saudi labor policy.
The assurance came from Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Salem, deputy minister of interior, following wide-ranging talks with Indian Ambassador Hamid Ali Rao yesterday. The issue of the refusal of newly-designed Indian passports by immigration authorities in Jeddah has also been resolved.
The ambassador raised the passport issue during his talks with Al-Salem.
Deputy Chief of Mission at the Indian Embassy in Riyadh, Sibi George, said: “Some cases were reported in Jeddah where perhaps immigration authorities were not aware of the new format of the passport but it was resolved. The issue has been clarified and the matter has been resolved.”
George said this problem was mainly at Jeddah airport. “Now there is no need to be concerned … the Saudi side has acknowledged the matter and they are working to help Indian workers on all cases including on the matter of the refusal of the passports.” Rao provided first-hand information to Al-Salem about the problems faced by members of the Indian community.
“The two sides discussed issues pertaining to the welfare of the Indian community in Saudi Arabia,” said Rao following the meeting.
The two sides reviewed modalities in implementing the concessions announced by the government of Saudi Arabia for overstaying expatriates to rectify their legal status or to return to their homeland without facing penal action. The Indian ambassador briefed the deputy minister on the efforts being undertaken by the embassy to take advantage of the grace period, which ends on July 3.
Rao also offered volunteer services to help the Indian community at the exit section of deportation offices in various cities of Saudi Arabia, particularly for translation/interpretation. Al-Salem welcomed this offer. The embassy has urged its volunteers to offer their services at the Exit section of Tarheel offices across the Kingdom.
Rao said the embassy has deployed officials at the deportation center and at the Labor Office in Riyadh to assist Indian applicants. The embassy is continuing the verification and delivery process of Emergency Certificates (ECs) for all Indians who have applied for ECs and at other collection centers across Saudi Arabia, he said.
The delivery of new ECs will begin Saturday in Riyadh and Monday in Dammam. Information such as the schedule of verification for delivery and the list of applicants with token numbers is uploaded at the embassy of India website Indians expats who are in possession of unutilized ECs with expired validity may approach the embassy or IIS Dammam.
Those with valid passports need not come to the embassy. They may approach the passport department or deportation directly for a final exit. The embassy said anyone who obtains ECs will have their current passports canceled and would not be able to travel out of India on such passports.
The assurance came from Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Salem, deputy minister of interior, following wide-ranging talks with Indian Ambassador Hamid Ali Rao yesterday. The issue of the refusal of newly-designed Indian passports by immigration authorities in Jeddah has also been resolved.
The ambassador raised the passport issue during his talks with Al-Salem.
Deputy Chief of Mission at the Indian Embassy in Riyadh, Sibi George, said: “Some cases were reported in Jeddah where perhaps immigration authorities were not aware of the new format of the passport but it was resolved. The issue has been clarified and the matter has been resolved.”
George said this problem was mainly at Jeddah airport. “Now there is no need to be concerned … the Saudi side has acknowledged the matter and they are working to help Indian workers on all cases including on the matter of the refusal of the passports.” Rao provided first-hand information to Al-Salem about the problems faced by members of the Indian community.
“The two sides discussed issues pertaining to the welfare of the Indian community in Saudi Arabia,” said Rao following the meeting.
The two sides reviewed modalities in implementing the concessions announced by the government of Saudi Arabia for overstaying expatriates to rectify their legal status or to return to their homeland without facing penal action. The Indian ambassador briefed the deputy minister on the efforts being undertaken by the embassy to take advantage of the grace period, which ends on July 3.
Rao also offered volunteer services to help the Indian community at the exit section of deportation offices in various cities of Saudi Arabia, particularly for translation/interpretation. Al-Salem welcomed this offer. The embassy has urged its volunteers to offer their services at the Exit section of Tarheel offices across the Kingdom.
Rao said the embassy has deployed officials at the deportation center and at the Labor Office in Riyadh to assist Indian applicants. The embassy is continuing the verification and delivery process of Emergency Certificates (ECs) for all Indians who have applied for ECs and at other collection centers across Saudi Arabia, he said.
The delivery of new ECs will begin Saturday in Riyadh and Monday in Dammam. Information such as the schedule of verification for delivery and the list of applicants with token numbers is uploaded at the embassy of India website Indians expats who are in possession of unutilized ECs with expired validity may approach the embassy or IIS Dammam.
Those with valid passports need not come to the embassy. They may approach the passport department or deportation directly for a final exit. The embassy said anyone who obtains ECs will have their current passports canceled and would not be able to travel out of India on such passports.
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