Repatriation process under way for stranded workers

The issue of some Indian labourers, stranded in the country for the last several months, will be resolved within a few days.

An official at the Ministry of Interior’s (MoI’s) Community Outreach Section told Gulf Times yesterday that the labourers, who were living in a park adjacent to the Indian embassy, were moved to the deportation centre earlier in the day as the first step of their repatriation.

They were taken to the deportation centre by the ministry officials. It would be ensured that their travel documents would be ready in a day or two.

The labourers, most of whom were working as domestic helps with different sponsors, had run away from their employers.

Gulf Times had highlighted the plight of these labourers more than once last month. Some philanthropists from the Indian community also came forward with financial assistance to help repatriation of these workers.

According to some of the labourers, they were cheated by the agents who brought them to the country. Throughout their stay at the park, the embassy had made arrangements to provide food to the stranded workers twice a day.

The MoI official also sought the community’s assistance to trace such people in distress so that they could be repatriated. He said their department would be able to ensure a faster repatriation if the issues were reported directly to their office.