HYDERABAD: While the Kuwaiti government’s Expat Quota Bill will lead to the repatriation of around eight lakh Indians from the Gulf nation, the fate of more than one lakh Telangana natives hangs in the balance.
The people of Telangana, who are staying in Kuwait, told The New Indian Express that this move has been a long time coming owing to rise in visa frauds and increase in Covid-19 cases in that country as well as lack of jobs.
Muralidhar Reddy, a migrant activist and an entrepreneur now based in Kuwait, said that the first affected would be those living illegally in the country and those who have come in through ‘visa trading’.
“Earlier, the price of visa registration was really less. But in the last 30 years, due to lack of business, companies started charging huge amounts ... around `3 to `4 lakh for one work visa,” he explained. The Kuwaiti government found that in the last four years around `9,000 crore worth of transactions were defrauded, Reddy added.
Activist urges TS to approach Kuwait govt
“Many workers have been coming to Kuwait on the sponsorship of on individual or company but are being forced to work in the sponsorship of others, which according to the country’s law, is illegal,” he said.
According to Telangana Jagruthi (Kuwait) member Pramod Kumar, people who have been staying in the country for more than 15 years will also be affected by the decision.
“Those who have been staying for more than 15 years are sure to be affected. They will be around 60 years of age, and anyhow they will not be able to work here above that age,” he said.
Muralidhar Reddy added that people in that age group are more susceptible to the virus and the Kuwaiti government feels that those people may also unknowingly contribute to the spread of the virus. However, both Pramod Kumar and Reddy took solace in the fact that it will take another year or two for the rules to be implemented, but they are unsure about their future.
Reddy rued the absence of a Telangana government- headed Gulf Board, which would have been able to take up this matter with the Kuwaiti government.
“If there was a Gulf board, the State and we would have been able to take this matter up with the Kuwaiti government,” Reddy said while requesting the State provide its support in the issue.
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