Companies offer jobs for visa seekers after Indian embassy appeal

The Indian embassy has approached employers for help in providing visa amnesty seekers with transport, food packets and interview opportunities.

Two companies approached by the embassy have offered jobs for those seeking amnesty after overstaying their visas but who still want to work in the UAE.

“We have proactively reached out to some large Indian employers who are willing to do onthe-spot interviews and are happy to employ those who meet the required skill set,” said the Indian ambassador to the UAE, Navdeep Singh Suri.

“Without naming the companies, because I don’t want to embarrass anybody’s generosity, they have said they are willing to take on several hundred each after the interviews.”

The interviews are likely to take place at the embassy.

“The companies have indicated that they require people for different categories, ranging from cleaners to more skilled positions,” Mr Suri said.

“Up until now, the numbers [of amnesty seekers] we have received are very small. Once we start getting data on those who desire to stay, we will be more than happy to put them in touch with the potential employers.”

The embassy will provide bus services from the amnesty registration centre in Al Shahama, a town on the western outskirts of Abu Dhabi, from today. Services may be extended to pick-ups in areas where there is demand.

Companies have also offered food packets to amnesty seekers at federal centres, where people can queue for hours before presenting their cases.

The Indian embassy has approached Air India to see if it can assist in repatriations. “They are in touch with senior management,” Mr Suri said.

The three-month visa amnesty programme offers those without current residency visas the opportunity to either repatriate or remain in the UAE, if they can secure formal employment. More than 10,000 in Dubai and the Northern Emirates have applied for assistance under the scheme, but a relatively low number are Indian nationals.

Only 186 emergency certificates have been issued so far. Official figures show there are 3.1 million Indians living in the UAE. Embassy and consular staff do weekly prison visits in Al Wathba, Sadar and Sweihan.

The Indian Community Welfare Fund provides food allowance, local transport and air tickets to deserving cases.

The embassy issued 566 emergency certificates in the first six months of the year, 483 of which were issued to those in prison.

It directly approached employers to recover passports confiscated from employees and works with UAE authorities when necessary.

“Under UAE law, the passport is the property of the individual and not the sponsor, so if the sponsors are hanging on to the passports, that’s illegal,” said Sumathi Vasudev, acting Consul General at the Indian Consulate in Dubai.

Embassy and consulate officials have attended the amnesty centres in Al Shahama and Sharjah from 8am until 8pm.

There are also two counters dedicated to amnesty cases at the embassy, two at the BLS office on Hamdan Street, one at the BLS office in Al Ain and volunteers in Al Ain and Al Dhafra.

The public can check the embassy website and its Twitter account for updates on the UAE Amnesty Programme.

The two businesses told the ambassador they were willing to take on several hundred workers each