By IANS,
New Delhi : The government Tuesday said it will make efforts to persuade the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to issue visas to Indians working there with insufficient documents and facing threat of deportation from the Gulf country.
Responding to concerns of Telugu Desam Party member C.M. Ramesh and some others in the Rajya Sabha about Indian workers who would have to leave the UAE, Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi said he had urged the civil aviation ministry to make necessary arrangements to fly them back.
He said that since the UAE government had taken a view concerning people with insufficient documents, the external affairs ministry could try to persuade it to issue visas to Indians who would have to leave that country.
“I will take it up (with external affairs ministry),” Ravi said.
Raising the issue during zero hour, Ramesh said a number of families in Andhra Pradesh will be affected by the UAE government’s decision asking “only Indians to leave”.
Ramesh said passports of workers were taken away and they were facing problems. “Workers and their families are worried (over the UAE decision),” he said.
He was joined by Bharatiya Janata Party leader M. Venkaiah Naidu and several other members. Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien said it was an issue concerning all states.