More than 100 workers who were stranded without salaries for the last few months have been repatriated by their embassies.
The workers were from at least four countries and belonged to a contracting firm.
It is understood that the Indian embassy alone repatriated 116 of its nationals using its Indian Community Welfare Fund. Apart from providing air tickets, the embassy and its affiliated forum, the Indian Community Benevolent Forum (ICBF), also gave token financial assistance to the affected workers who insisted on returning home even though many of them had employment offers from some other companies.
An ICBF official said they distributed provisions worth more than QR10,000 to the affected workers at their accommodations when the workers brought their predicament to the attention of the Indian embassy.
Only a few more workers are waiting to be repatriated as their passports had expired. “All others have travelled home in the last three or four days,” the official said.
The Indian embassy has assured the workers it would follow up the issue of their end of service benefits through the labour department.
In another incident, ICBF intervened to help more than 150 Indian expatriates who were affected by a fire in their accommodation on the outskirts of Sheehaniya. The workers belonged to a construction firm.
Besides the ICBF supplying provisions to the affected workers, the Indian embassy provided passports free of cost to some of them as their entire belongings including passports were destroyed in the fire.
One of the workers who was to go to India for his marriage was among those who lost his passport. The embassy issued him a fresh passport the same day to ensure his travel.
