By IANS
Thiruvananthapuram : The Kerala Association of Travel Agents (KATA) Sunday urged the central government to help thousands of Keralites who are waiting to return home from the UAE during the grace period granted by that country to all who do not possess valid documents.
“We wish that union ministers (Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs) Vayalar Ravi and (Minister of State for External Affairs) E. Ahamed should send a team of officials to assist the Indian embassy in UAE to process the papers of thousands of Indians, of whom a large number are Keralites,” KATA president K.V. Muraleedharan told reporters here.
The grace period given by the UAE government to immigrants without proper papers for returning home began on June 1 and ends Sep 2.
He added that, according to a KATA representative in the UAE, there were more than 100,000 Indians, with a majority from Kerala, who were waiting to return.
“Out-passes have to be prepared by the embassy and what our representative has informed us is that it takes a long period for papers to be processed because of the shortage of staff in the embassy. We are given to understand that only those who submit their papers in the next two weeks would be able to avail of this grace period,” Muraleedharan said.
Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanndan last week had informed the state assembly that his government will soon send two officials to the UAE to help the Keralites to return.
“Kerala has a full fledged Roots-Norka organisation which looks after the welfare of the non-resident Keralites. Right now what happens is just attesting of certificates of those going abroad. The need of the hour is that more officials from Roots-Norka also should head to the Middle East.
“If any person is taken into custody after the grace period, they would have to cool their heels in jail. The situation is really grave,” said Muraleedharan.