Saudi to send stranded Indian workers back at its own expense

India’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs VK Singh, visiting Riyadh on Wednesday to meet Saudi Labour Minister Mufrej Al Haqbani, said the Saudi government had provided assurances that it would resolve the crisis and ensure workers’ financial claims were pursued, even if the workers returned home.

RIYADH (Reuters) – Saudi Arabia has agreed to assist thousands of laid-off Indian workers stranded in the kingdom without money or food, an Indian minister said on Wednesday.

This story was first published on CNN.com, “Saudi Arabia offers free food, flights to abandoned Indian workers”. Under the kafala system, which is applicable to foreign workers, employees are not allowed to move to a new job without approval of their bosses.

“We stand by our hardworking workers who are away from their homeland to earn a living for their families”, the statement said. It was brought out that the problem is because of one company which has not provided the humanitarian facilities as per the law of the land.

A source familiar with the circumstances said some abandoned construction projects were Saudi government contracts.

He said diplomatic efforts were in progress to pressurise the companies by the Saudi Arabian government to provide dues and arrears to the stranded Pakistanis. The situation for these employees has now turned into a humanitarian crisis, after the company stopped providing them with food or collecting trash at the camps where majority live.

Garry Martinez, Chairman of the Migrante International, which works for the millions of Filipino overseas workers worldwide said that some Filipinos are forced to beg or sift through garbage to survive after going unpaid for months.

MEA officials said that Singh is scheduled to return on Friday.

Thousands of stranded Indian workers in Saudi Arabia are about to get some much-needed help.

Haqbani’s orders also ease restrictions on workers leaving the kingdom, Okaz quoted ministry official Abdullah al-Alyan as saying.

“The Indian nationals working In Saudi Arabia are very much appreciated by Saudi society and government for their contribution to the development of the country and their respect for the laws of the land”, Al Saty said, adding that relations between his country and India continue to be excellent.

Saudi Arabia, like other oil-rich Gulf countries, depends heavily on Asian migrant workers, mainly from India, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

“The matter has been satisfactorily resolved”, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said in both Houses of Parliament.

“Not one worker of ours will go hungry”.

“Bangladeshi, Indian and Pakistani workers at the company faced difficulties in getting food for two days in last week as the caterer stopped supplying food”, Sarwar said.