Will bring Indians back from Saudi Arabia, won’t let any go hungry: Sushma Swaraj

“The last message I received on the issue was at 2.45 am today and I was informed that ration has been distributed among all the workers in five camps,” Swaraj said.

Singh is expected to make a ground assessment and work out the logistics of a possible repatriation of the workers who want to return.

She told the House that the Indian embassy in the Gulf nation was running five camps to feed the affected. “Not one worker of ours will go hungry. This is my assurance to the country through Parliament. We will bring all of them back to India,” Swaraj said.

Government sources said about 10,000 Indian workers have been affected by the economic slowdown in the Gulf. The impact, they said, varies from company to company.

As many as 3,172 Indian workers in Riyadh have not been paid their dues for several months but are getting regular rations, sources said.

Another 2,450 Indian workers belonging to the Saudi Oger Company are housed in five camps in Jeddah, Mecca and Taif, they said.

Since July 25, the company had stopped providing meals to the workers besides defaulting on their salaries, sources said. Foreign Ministry has given instruction to Indian Embassy in Riyadh and Consulate in Jeddah to urgently provide food assistance to them, they said. “Our consulate in Jeddah, through the assistance of the Indian community has been providing rations for the 2,450 Indian workers which should be sufficient for the next 8 to 10 days,” a government official said.

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The government, Swaraj said, was in touch with the foreign and labour offices in Saudi Arabia to ensure early evacuation of affected Indians.

Swaraj said there were twin issues with the evacuation of workers. “The law there does not permit an emergency exit visa without no objection certificate from the employers. But there are no employers as the companies have shut down and left the country. We have asked the (Saudi) foreign office to authorise us to evacuate our people.”

The other issue, she said, was non-payment of dues to the workers. “We have asked their labour office that all the workers will sign a contract before leaving that you will first settle the payments of the workers when you deal with the dues of the companies lying with you,” Swaraj said.

Sources said MoS M J Akbar is liaising with the Saudi authorities to ensure that the claims of all the Indian workers with unpaid dues are lodged and processed in accordance with law. He has also sought Saudi assistance in arranging exit visa for all Indian workers who wish to be repatriated, sources said.