Amnesty-seekers miss free flight home

Dubai: Four Indian illegals missed the special free flight to their home town on Friday night because they did not complete the necessary paperwork, it has emerged.

On the last day of the amnesty, all four from the South Indian state of Andhra Pradesh had gone to Dubai International Airport after receiving free air tickets at the Sharjah Indian Association from Mohammad Ali Shabeer, Minority Welfare Minister in the Andhra Pradesh Government, who had come to the UAE to escort the labourers back home.

"I was so happy to have got a free passage. Now, I was told that I should go to the Sharjah Immigration and Naturalisation Department and get my paperwork completed. No one informed me of these procedures before," said Sinu, pushing his luggage trolley out of the departure area at Terminal 2 after missing his flight.

The special Air India Express amnesty flight took off at midnight on Friday carrying 150 passengers and was arranged by the Andhra Pradesh government to facilitate travel for illegals from the state.

Standing outside the departure gates, Sinu told Gulf News that he has been working in the UAE illegally for the past two years.

"I informed Minister Shabeer of my situation and he requested an Indian volunteer to direct me to the proper channels and get my immigration clearance done," said Sinu who wondered whether he would be branded an offender now that the amnesty period has ended.

No chance

The three-month amnesty was declared by the UAE government on June 2 and it was later extended until November 3.

"I had spent all my savings on gifts for my family and have changed about Dh200 that was left with me into Indian currency. What will I do now as I have also given up the accommodation? I hope my friends will be ready to share the room with me," he said. P. Anjaiyya who had come to see off his elder brother P. Ramalu said that he decided to stay back despite being an illegal.

He said: "My brother who was also an illegal managed to secure a free ticket. He wanted to go back, but I will only go back once I receive the money for the work that I did on a construction site in Dubai."

Asked if he feared being arrested by the police, Anjaiyya said: "I will go to jail and will be sent back home. The main reason for me to not to go back home is because of a huge loan that I had taken to buy a visa. I will need to pay back the money or else the money lenders will hound my family."