UAE | Visa
Indian Embassy to provide shelter and food for amnesty seekers
The Indian Embassy has plans to provide food, accommodation and transportation to amnesty seekers with the help of community organisations, it was announced in an open house event yesterday.
- By Binsal Abdul Kader, Staff Reporter
- Published: 22:52 July 26, 2007
Abu Dhabi: The Indian Embassy has plans to provide food, accommodation and transportation to amnesty seekers with the help of community organisations, it was announced in an open house event yesterday.
"The hardship of these people has increased specially since immigration counters shifted last week to Al Watbha, which is about 40 kilometres from the city," said Sreenivas Babu, First Secretary at the Embassy.
The embassy hopes to arrange accommodation for at least 300 workers in any labour accommodation. Those people who have been given a token from the embassy or the immigration authorities will be accommodated until they finish the process, which takes up to a week.
Companies
"We have approached some companies but no positive reply has come yet," he said. Some Indian community organisations have been providing food and water to amnesty seekers who have to wait for a long time in the scorching heat at the immigration counters. The organisations have also arranged for their transportation.
The embassy has also arranged for multilingual volunteers to help the illegal workers. "But we desperately need more Telugu speaking volunteers," said the officials. Amnesty seekers have been demanding assistance to complete the lengthy procedures.
"I have been searching for my passport at the embassy, the labour ministry and immigration offices for the past two weeks. I have spent around Dh800 on taxis alone.
"Now I don't have money to buy food. I don't know where I will get money to buy a ticket to go back home," said Vadivel Kuttiandy, who had run away from an Abu Dhabi Company and worked in Sharjah.
Embassy officials urged community members who wish to help amnesty seekers to contact (050) 4172344.
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