Amnesty seekers relieved as they get free passage

Dubai: Narayan and Santosh heaved a sigh of relief when they were asked to come forward and collect their free air tickets to fly back home.

"I got all my papers in order and I will be boarding a flight home on August 26. I still have some debt to repay back home, but it is better I leave now than end up behind bars," said Santosh, 28, an Indian, who came here like many others on a visit visa and stayed on to eke out a better standard of living for his loved ones back home.

Both these men were waiting anxiously among 36 other amnesty seekers at the Indian Association in Sharjah on Monday evening.

The tickets were handed over to the Valley of Love (VoL) a Dubai-based Indian organisation by good Samaritans and Indian airlines.

Among them were also those amnesty seekers who had their names placed on the waiting list by the VoL volunteers since their papers for amnesty were under process.

R.K.Nair a VoL volunteer said that the distribution of free tickets will be done in phases.

He said: "The next round will be held sometime next week. We are looking into the plight of amnesty seekers of all nationalities. We have Ethiopians, Sri Lankans, Bangladeshis and Indians listed with us."

George another VoL volunteer who was seen explaining the importance of amnesty to illegal residents present on the occasion said: "We are trying to make them understand what amnesty is all about and that they should never succumb to unscrupulous agents. Each one of them had taken loans to get a visit visa to the UAE."