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Oman govt grants amnesty

Over 40k illegal Bangladeshis can return home now


Published : 30 Nov 2020 09:44 PM | Updated : 01 Dec 2020 02:59 PM

Bangladeshi migrant people living in Oman illegally finally got opportunity to return home till December 31 as the Oman government announced a general amnesty for them.

The migrant workers have already started collecting out-pass from the embassy to take advantage of this opportunity.

Though most of them have collected out-pass but they are worried about returning to the country. Most of the migrants do not have sufficient money to buy air ticket to return home as they have no jobs due to corona crisis.

Migrants from Oman informed that, at least 40 thousands of illegal Bangladeshi migrant workers want to return to the country by taking the opportunity of general amnesty given by the Oman government.

In the meantime, almost every day, hundreds of migrant workers have been flocking at the Bangladesh embassy in Muscat and Salalah Bangladesh Consulate in the capital for the last two weeks to collect out-pass.

However, the Embassy said that at least 20 thousand Bangladeshi expatriates came to the embassy from 15 to 21 November to collect slips after the general amnesty announced by the government of Oman. At least 7 thousand of expatriates among them have given the slips. Rest of them will also be given slips in phases.

According to the Bangladeshi expatriates who collected the slips, it is doubtful whether everyone will be able to take advantage of this opportunity as a huge number of migrants are now gathering in the embassy.

Moreover, expatriate Bangladeshis returning home from Oman have to pay more than 200 riyals per head for plane ticket, corona negative certificate and other necessary documents, which is equivalent to 45,000 taka in Bangladeshi currency. A large part of Bangladeshi migrants staying in Oman illegally do not have capacity to return to the country by paying such amount of money.

Expatriates said that most of them will not able to return to the country as they have no financial solvency due to unemployed life amid corona crisis. Most of the illegal immigrants will be able to return to the country if they get assistance from the government.

Otherwise, even if many people collected out passes, they will have to stay there illegally as they will not be able to raise money for plane tickets in the end.

However, citing Oman government sources, the country's media reported that the Oman government announced a general amnesty for the return of illegal immigrants, usually after five to 10 years.

According to the Expatriate Welfare Desk at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, 16,095 people returned from Oman after being imprisoned in the last seven months, from April 1 to November 11. Of these, 2,642 people returned with out-passes as they did not have passports and documents.