Riyadh: Around 150 Indian expatriates registered themselves during a special drive launched on Saturday by the Indian Embassy to assist individuals who have overstayed in Saudi Arabia. The expatriates had either not obtained final exit from the Tarheel (deportation) Office or were facing difficulties in rectifying their status, said a statement from the Indian Embassy. The special registration drive, which will continue for three days, is aimed at helping Indians who have overstayed in Saudi Arabia. Nearly 6,000 Indians in Saudi Arabia have secured full-time employment since an amnesty was announced in April for illegal foreign workers to regularise their residency.

Indian authorities dealt with more than 10,000 expatriates and helped them correct their status, either by transferring their sponsorship or renewing their residence permits. The amnesty announced in April has been extended by Saudi Arabia till November. During the current drive, the Indian Embassy intends to create a database of Indians who have overstayed and bring it to the notice of Saudi authorities for appropriate action. "The purpose behind this drive is to have a database of such Indians and to know their specific problems in order to explore the possibility of finding a suitable solution for them within Saudi rules and regulations," the statement said.

Stressing that expatriates could not illegally remain in Saudi Arabia after the expiry of the grace period, the embassy asked them to rectify their legal status and to approach the mission if they faced any difficulties during this process. Foreign workers without valid work permits and runaways had come under the scanner after Saudi Arabia introduced a new labour law called 'Nitaqat', which made it mandatory for local companies to hire one Saudi national for every 10 migrant workers. Over two million Indians are currently working in Saudi Arabia.