Saturday, May 4, 2013

PRESS RELEASE from Embassy of India

AS RECEIVED.....................
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Rashique Ahmad <rashiqueahmad55@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, May 2, 2013 at 12:34 AM
Subject: Fwd: PRESS RELEASE from Embassy of India, Riyadh dated 01-04-2013
To: 
As received:
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Amb Office <amb-socialsec@indianembassy.org.sa>
Date: Wed, May 1, 2013 at 6:09 PM
Subject: PRESS RELEASE from Embassy of India, Riyadh dated 01-04-2013
To:  rashiqueahmad55@gmail.com

May 1, 2013
PRESS RELEASE
Meeting of the India – Saudi Arabia Joint Group to discuss labour issues – May 1, 2013

All Indian workers who have travelled to Saudi Arabia legally will be allowed to regularize their visa status, get new jobs or to return to India if they chose to register voluntarily with the Saudi authorities during the three months
grace period announced by His Majesty the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. This was among the issues discussed at the Joint Group meeting held today (May 1, 2013) at the Saudi Ministry of Labour. Deputy Minister for
Labour Affairs Ahmad S. Al Humaidan, Deputy Minister for International Affairs Dr. Ahmed F. Al Fahaid and Deputy Minister for Labour Relations Ziyad I Alsaigh received the team led by Shri Sibi George, Minister/Deputy
Chief of Mission. 

The Joint Group will continue their discussions next week. The Joint Group was set up during the discussions between H.E. Mr. Adel Fakeih, Minister of Labour of Saudi Arabia and Indian delegation led by Minister for
Overseas Indian Affairs Shri Vayalar Ravi in Jeddah on April 28. The Joint Group is mandated to discuss all issues pertaining to the welfare of the Indian community in Saudi Arabia including immediate issues pertaining to
implementation of Nitaqat programme and overstaying Indian workers. The Joint Group also discussed re-employment of those overstaying Indian workers in Saudi Arabia by availing the facilities offered by the Ministry of  Labour including services of the newly set up mega-recruiting companies. 

The Embassy urges all Indians affected by the Nitaqat programme and those overstaying in Saudi Arabia to register their names at the Ministry of Labour website www.redyellow.com.sa. This site is being visited regularly by
various Saudi companies to look for Indian workers.

The Ministry of Labour will be issuing shortly a series of measures aimed at helping the expatriate workers to regularize their stay in Saudi Arabia or to return to their countries. Those workers volunteering to utilize the three
months grace period and have no legal issues pending against them will not be blacklisted and would be allowed to return to Saudi Arabia with appropriate visas. They also need not go through deportation centers.
 
The Ministry of
Labour informed that those who have legal cases against them would need to settle such cases before their return to India. However, those who have legal cases against them could also change their jobs to new employers if they
register voluntarily with the Ministry of Labour. The details are currently being worked out. 2 

The Ministry of Labour clarified that in Saudi Arabia it is illegal for any employer/companies to keep the passports or Iqamas of their employees. As per Saudi laws, it is the right of the employees to keep their passports and
Iqamas. The Embassy has clarified to the Ministry of Labour that in case of workers who face difficulties to change their sponsorship due to nonavailability of passports they would be issued new passports on a priority
basis. 

The Embassy of India urges all those affected by Nitaqat programme and those overstaying Indian workers to utilize the three months grace period announced by the Saudi authorities to regularize their status or to leave the
country.
 
The Embassy has also been collecting Emergency Certificate (EC) applications from those Indians currently overstaying in Saudi Arabia so that their cases can be taken up with the Saudi authorities within the framework of
applicable Saudi laws.
 
The Embassy urges all Indian nationals who are unable to leave Saudi Arabia due to non availability of Indian or Saudi documents to register with the Embassy within a month. The collection
centers set up at the Indian Schools namely IIS Riyadh, IIPS Riyadh, IIS Dammam, IIS Jeddah, IIS Jubail, IIS Buraidah, IIS Al-Khafji, IIS Taif, IIS Majmah and IIS Tabuk could be used for submission of EC applications.
 
These could also be sent by Post/Courier alongwith copy of the passport, resident permit and any other document to establish the Indian nationality to EC Section, Embassy of India, B-1 Diplomatic Quarter, PO Box 94387, Riyadh
- 11693, Saudi Arabia. 

The Embassy seeks the support of volunteers from the community, not necessarily social workers, to come forward to assist those affected by Nitaqat programme and all overstaying Indian workers. Indian professionals, teachers
of Indian schools and others are urged to join the current campaign by the Embassy. Those ready to do voluntary services in any part of the country may send in their names, address, passport number and contact details to the
Embassy by May 5, 2013. They may register through emails to wel.riyadh@mea.gov.in, with a copy to dcm.riyadh@mea.gov.in and hoc.riyadh@mea.gov.in. The Embassy would contact those volunteers and
advise them on the next step in the process. 

A meeting of the social workers and volunteers will be held at 11 AM tomorrow (May 2, 2013) at the Embassy of India premises in the Diplomatic Quarter to brief the outcome of the first meeting of the Joint Group and to get further inputs from Indian community in Saudi Arabia. All are welcome to attend.



--
Thanks & Best Regards,
 
 
AIJAZ AHMED
Dammam
Saudi Arabia

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