Four ‘UAE Amnesty’ migrants to return from Dubai

Hyderabad, January 1 : Following travel aid provided by philanthropists, four migrants workers hailing from Andhra Pradesh will return to Hyderabad on Wednesday.

Of them, Gummula Mallaiah hails from Karimnagar while Yelu Gandula Venkateshwar, Sunkari Lachanna and Chakali Swami hail from Nizamabad district. They are coming back to India under “UAE Amnesty” Scheme. Indian philanthropists in America provided travel aid to these poor migrant workers. An Arab social worker and Migrants Rights Council activists distributed free air travel tickets to the needy migrants at Dubai. They will return to Hyderabad through an Indigo Airlines Flight.

According to Migrants Rights Council Vice-President M Bheem Reddy, about 45,000 Indians migrant workers are currently languishing in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah of United Arab Emirates (UAE) in irregular, overstaying status. Of them, 18,000 are from Andhra Pradesh State. The two months amnesty announced by UAE asking illegal residents to either leave the country without penalty or regularise their visas started from December 4 and will end on February 3.

Bheem Reddy said that the Kerala State Government was providing free air travel tickets to its residents. Most of the irregular migrants are poor and low paid workers they are not in a position to meet the cost of travel to India. He demanded that the Andhra Pradesh Government too provide free air travel tickets to all migrant workers of Andhra Pradesh who wish to come back to India under the “UAE Amnesty” scheme.

Bheem Reddy also demanded that the State Government send a team of officials to the UAE to rescue people from Andhra Pradesh. He said the government should provide reintegration and rehabilitation for Gulf returnees.