HYDERABAD: Nearly 56 migrant labourers from Adilabad, Nirmal, Karimnagar and other districts were stranded in Saudi Arabia with no proper food and accommodation. The State NRI Department has sent a wireless message to the Indian embassy in Riyadh and urged it to arrange for their repatriation.
The 56 labourers were working for Jouannaou and Paraskevaides Limited Company, which was facing financial problems. In the message, the State government said, “subsequently the J&P Company is facing a serious problem. The company is not paying salaries to the 56 Telangana immigrants for the last six months and not extending their Iqama status.”
Iqama is used to manage foreign hires in Saudi Arabia. It is essentially a residence permit issued to expatriates who live there on employment visa. For a non-Saudi to work, the candidate requires a local sponsor. The local sponsor in turn applies for the Iqama.
“Now their Iqama has expired and they are facing a lot of problems. With no proper food and accommodation, they are staying in shelters. Individuals and their family members have requested the assistance of the government to take up the issue,” the message said adding that the issue of pending salaries have to solved. “If it is not possible to issue exit passes then repatriate the 56 persons to India,” the State government said urging the Ministry of External Affairs to pursue the matter with the Indian embassy in Riyadh.