NRI quota, more leave days sought for Haj pilgrims

Abu Dhabi - Expatriates no longer get permits to perform Haj directly from the UAE.

There should be NRI quota for expatriates wishing to perform Haj and more leave days allotted for the pilgrimage, a top official from the Indian pilgrimage committee said in Abu Dhabi.
Kerala Haj Committee chairman C. Muhammad Faizi said he will be urging the Haj Committee of India and the Indian government to make such necessary changes.
"Expatriates no longer get permits to perform Haj directly from the UAE. This is due to preference given to citizens here. But in the last few years there has been a considerable increase in the number of Haj applicants in India, especially from Kerala. I see this rise in number as a direct impact of the UAE and other Gulf nations revoking the permit for expats. So, there needs to be a quota for NRIs. Kerala Haj Committee will take up the matter with Haj Committee of India, which in turn will follow it up with the Indian government, Norka and Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Haj and Umra," Faizi said during an event held at Indian International Cultural Centre.
Faizi, recently appointed as the chairman, is on a week-long official visit to each emirate of the UAE to learn about the issues faced by pilgrims from Kerala. He said less number of leave days was another issue raised by pilgrims.
"I met representatives from many groups. Another big issue I came across is 15 to 20 days of Haj leave allotted here in the UAE public sector. With the UAE's restrictions, expats need more time with paperwork and travel time to India and then to Saudi Arabia. More leave is a justified requirement. This will be taken up with the UAE ministry."
Fly for Haj from Kozhikode too
Faizi noted that Kozhikode International Airport has been restored as an embarkation point for pilgrims.
"At present Kochi International Airport is an embarkation point. Kozhikode airport will be of great benefit to the expats here. It has all the facilities, including separate building for woman." So from next year expats will have option to fly from Kozhikode and Kochi.
Digital solutions to problems
"Earlier there was a requirement to deposit passport to the Kerala Haj Committee three months in advance. It was cut down to a month as expats working here couldn't submit their passports. Now people here have sought a digital remedy to such an issue to make the time period less than 30 days. Also there is an appeal for visa stamping facility to be started in Thiruvananthapuram. As of now the facility is only in Mumbai. These are some of the few but important issues raised by expat pilgrims here," Faizi added.
ashwani@khaleejtimes.com

• Abu Dhabi
• India