By IANS
Thiruvananthapuram : Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan has asked the Keralites staying in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) without proper documents to come back using the grace period offered by the UAE authorities.
“I appeal to all of you that if you do not have proper documents, please return within the stipulated period when you can come back without paying any fines. If you do not, the consequences would be serious,” Achuthanandan said in a statement read out to reporters here Monday.
The grace period given by the UAE government to immigrants without proper papers for returning home began on June 1 and ends Sep 3.
“The last date for applying for out passes to return ends on Aug 13. All those who are yet to apply please do it. And for assistance, in all the Indian missions we have made arrangements by sending officials from here,” he said.
Reports indicate that nearly 100,000 Indians in UAE of which a major chunk are from Kerala are without proper documents.
The Chief minister said till now more than 20,000 Keralites had made use of the grace period and had returned.