News
Friday, May 31, 2013
Embassy helping workers in Saudi Arabia: FOISLAMABAD: Foreign Office spokesman on Thursday said that Pakistan Embassy in Riyadh made sincere efforts to help Pakistanis working in Saudi Arabia and were affected due to strict immigration rules imposed by the Saudi government.
The spokesman while responding to media query regarding problems being faced by workers in Saudi Arabia, said that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the embassy in Riyadh are fully cognizant of the difficulties being faced by Pakistani workers in Saudi
Arabia and are working overtime to minimize the impact of Saudisation drive on Pakistani workers.
The spokesman said taking advantage of the three month grace period given by the Saudi government, the Embassy in Riyadh has taken a number of initiatives to help Pakistani workers regularise their stay in Saudi Arabia and also to help illegal workers to leave the Kingdom without any penalty and before expiry of the grace period of July 3.
“Our Ambassador in Riyadh held meetings with the Saudi Labour Minister and Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and embassy officials have held meetings with relevant Saudi authorities both in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Labour to impress upon them the huge negative impact on Pakistani workforce in Saudi Arabia of the current Saudisation drive,” he said. The spokesman said the embassy was informing Pakistani workers, many of whom are illiterate about the new Saudi policy by preparing guidelines in Urdu and Pashto.
He said a countrywide campaign has been launched through electronic, print and social media to assist the workers. Consequently, thousands of illegal workers have been registered.
The spokesman said almost 60 companies with the ability and willingness to employ foreign workers have been approached to arrange employment for Pakistani workers who intend to stay in the kingdom.
He said representatives of these companies are visiting the embassy on daily basis to interview workers in various categories. He said special windows have been opened to timely issue emergency travel documents to workers who want to leave the Kingdom.
Legal consultants have been deputed at deportation Centres in the Kingdom to assist Pakistanis who are detained for early completion of pre-departure formalities.
A legal consultant has also been deputed to assist workers in the process of regularisation of their status. Special teams are being sent regularly for providing assistance and advise the workers in different regions of the Kingdom. appCourtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk