Telangana migrants in Kuwait unsure about their future

Hyderabad: While the Kuwait government's Expat Quota Bill will lead to restoration of around eight lakh Indians from the Gulf nation, more than one lakh Telangana natives still have to wait. Muralidhar Reddy, a migrant activist and an entrepreneur in Kuwait said that the first affected would be the people those who are living illegally in the country and those who have entered through visa trading.

"In the last 30 years, due to lack of business, companies started charging huge amounts around Rs 3 lakh to Rs 4 lakh for registration of one work visa," he explained. He further said that the Kuwaiti government found that in the last four years around Rs 9,000 Cr worth of transactions was defrauded.

Speaking further on the issue, "Many workers have been coming to Kuwait on the sponsorship of an individual or company but are being forced to work in the sponsorship of others, which is illegal according to the country's law."

Speaking on the issue, Telangana Jagruthi (Kuwait) member Pramod Kumar said, "people who have been staying in the country for more than 15 years will also be affected by the decision. They will be around 60 years of age and anyhow they will not be able to work here above that age."

Reddy regretted the absence of a Telangana state government- headed Gulf Board, which would have been able to take up this matter with the Kuwaiti government. "If there was a Gulf board, the State and we would have been able to take this matter up with the Kuwaiti government."