HYDERABAD: AS Kuwait government extended the amnesty period, a window during which illegal immigrants in the gulf nation can return to their homeland, two months beyond February 22, the expatriate community in Kuwait seems hopeful.
Kuwait-based social activist Murlidhar Reddy said the move will bring relief for many, including immigrants whose mobile bills are unpaid and they are facing a travel ban because of it.
In Kuwait, for several amnesty seekers, mobile bills have not only become a nightmare but has also translated into a travel ban. Every year, the workers in Kuwait buy mobile phone with the approval of their employer. However, in many cases, the owner of the phone realises it’s registered in the name of another person with whose help they bought it.
He also will have the same ID number and is likely to misuse it. Many times, these labourers realise it only after selling their phone to a third party for extra money. They then realise the phone bill is high and a ban will be imposed on them if they cannot pay it back.
Praveen of Jagtial, who is stranded in Kuwait as he can’t afford to pay a 600 Kuwaiti dinar mobile bill, said, “Had the amnesty got over by February 22, I would have either fraudulently reached jail without getting a chance to defend my case and would have had to overstay in Kuwait for a much longer period. The 60 days extension has come as a big relief to the likes of me. Now, I have some hope that I can defend my case in court and going home without facing injustice is a possibility for me.”
Meanwhile, Hyderabad-based Ambassador of India and retired IFS officer BM Vinod Kumar who is volunteering to help Telangana’s amnesty seekers in Kuwait with his team, said, “This extension is a welcome move on behalf of Kuwait government. Now, the state government should become proactive and provide immediate financial help to the amnesty seekers who cannot afford their air tickets and also look into their resettlement once they return.”
On Tuesday, with the help of Telanagana Jagruti, nine Telanganites who could not buy tickets and stranded in the country returned to Hyderabad.