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Santhosh Chandran
Doha
The amnesty offered by the Ministry of Interior (MoI) to illegal residents for leaving the country without any"legal consequences" has come as a huge relief for many expatriates who are overstaying in Qatar due to various reasons.
A day after the MoI announced the three-month grace period starting from September 1, many Asian expatriates have started inquiries about the exit procedures.
K Girish Kumar, President of Indian Cultural Centre (ICC), the apex body of Indian expatriate organisations functioning under the aegis of Indian embassy, said the ICC has already received queries about the new announcement by the government.
An expatriate from the southern Indian state of Kerala, N Faizal who is staying illegally in Qatar for more than two-and-half years, said,"I am waiting for such an opportunity to leave the country. I arrived in Doha in 2013 as a domestic worker. After one year, I left the employer and since then I am working as blue-collar worker. I hope I can leave the country without much complication. My passport is still with the sponsor."
An Indian driver said,"I am waiting for more details about the procedure and the documents required for leaving the country. I reached Qatar in 2011 and my visa expired in 2013."
Girish Kumar said,"We have started a help centre at our Hilal office to offer support to Indian expatriates who wish to leave the country. We also informed our affiliated organisations to pass on the details to people. We will also distribute the information regarding the 'Exit' procedures at labour camps in Industrial Area, Al Khor, Dhukhan, Al Wakra and places outside Doha. We are also planning to utilise social media to circulate the information."
Kumar also urged Indian expatriates to explore this opportunity and leave the country without any complications.
As per the MoI announcement, foreigners residing in the country in violation of the provisions of Law No. 4 of 2009 regulating the entry, exit and stay, expatriates can exit the country without legal consequences.
"Illegal residents should contact the Search and Follow-up Department to complete the exit procedures during the grace period," the MoI said.
