A team from the Indian embassy had yesterday met Saudi labour officials to complete procedures relating to the protection of legal dues of the workers once they have departed from the country.
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Mrs. Swaraj said the quick response by the Saudi government is the result of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit there to strengthen bilateral relations. Ministerof state for external affairs General V.K. Singh is in Saudi for the goal.
A source in the diplomatic corps based in Saudi Arabia told The Hindu over phone that many labour camps have been receiving Saudi relief material over the past one day.
The government said Thursday the crisis triggered by a loss of jobs of several thousand Indians in Saudi Arabia has been resolved. The Indian mission has provided food to Indians who could not afford it.
Premier Sharif, taking notice of these reports, today directed the Minister for Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development to immediately proceed to Saudi Arabia to coordinate relief measures for stranded countrymen. (Normally, under Saudi Arabia’s “kefala” sponsorship system, they would have needed their employer’s permission to do this.) He also said the labour ministry has fined Saudi Oger and suspended services to the company.
Singh arrived in the Red Sea city of Jeddah on Wednesday to negotiate the repatriation of the migrant workers who lost their jobs and were left without enough money to return home.
Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj intervened in the humanitarian crisis last week after a distressed man at a camp in Jeddah sent a direct appeal for help, reported Times of India.
Satisfied over Haqbani’s response, Singh said he was thankful to the Saudi government for “very positive action and maganimous attitude”. “Saudi King has instructed his officials to resolve the issue in two days”, she said”.
Earlier on Wednesday, Haq had said that the Pakistan Embassy had provided basic amenities including food to countrymen stuck there.
More than 6,200 of the stranded Indian workers were employed by construction firm Saudi Oger, a conglomerate owned by the family of former Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri, which has been unable to pay workers’ salaries for months, according to Indian officials.
Before the economic slowdown, about 10 million foreigners, largely from south Asia, southeast Asia and other parts of the Middle East, worked in Saudi Arabia.
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“Necessary assistance continues to be provided to our distressed citizens with the heartening support of Indian community in Saudi Arabia”, he said in a series of tweets.
