Telangana NRI Affairs Minister KT Rama Rao on Sunday appealed to emigrants from the state presently in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to utilise the Amnesty period recently declared by the latter, and in place for a period of three months from August 1 to October 31.
In a press release, KTR’s office said that during the Amnesty period the UAE government was providing certain facilities for Indian immigrants in their country.
This included facilities which gave people who were staying there illegally, a chance to regularise their stay, while people with valid passports who wished to exit the country could get an exit permit, allowing them to return to Telangana.
“People who entered the UAE country illegally without any documents or visa will get exit clearance with two years ban. They can re-enter the UAE after two years,” the release said.
The Amnesty period is also likely to help people who have an expired passport or people whose passports were lost or withheld by sponsors.
SKTR appealed to NRIs to use the opportunity and return to the state, “Officials have been asked to coordinate with the Consulate General of India, Dubai and Indian Embassy, Abu Dhabi, UAE for the Amnesty purpose. The state’s NRI affairs Department is collecting details of the people from Telangana who are staying at UAE.”
Authorities also said that a helpline for Amnesty was established at +9194408 54433 or an email could be sent to nri@telangana.gov.in. Others could also contact the Consulate’s help desk hotline at +971 56-5463903 or on indiaindubai.amnesty@gmail.com.
Telangana has a high number of people, especially women, emigrating as domestic workers to the Gulf countries.
Guidelines issued by India in 2011 stated that for people who hold ECR (Emigration Check Required) passports for employment visas to several countries, including United Arab Emirates (UAE), stated that women workers headed to these countries should be at least 30 years old, adding that their recruitment should have been overseen by government authorities.
However, private agents based in India and abroad often find loopholes in the law, sending workers on visit visas, or applying for emigration checks in more lenient countries and trafficking them to their real destinations.