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CATHERINE W GICHUKI
DOHA
Within one-and-a half months since Qatar announced amnesty for the undocumented people living in the country to leave for their homelands without facing any legal action, about fifty Kenyans have turned up at the Search and Follow-Up Department, Kenyan Ambassador to Qatar has said.
A majority of them are not run-away workers but people who were brought to Qatar but not taken for medical screenings, or people who were not given identity cards by their employers. They didn't even have access to medical services for want of health cards.
HE Galma Mukhe Boru told Qatar Tribune that 15 among them had their passports missing and the embassy issued them with one-way travel document."They turned themselves in to the Search and Follow-Up Department and we commend them for that. I appeal to Kenyan nationals if any, who have absconded from their original sponsors, to avail themselves of the amnesty offer and return back home," he said.
Boru added that Kenyans with missing passports should also come to the embassy to seek assistance."Those who may have lost their passports, please come to the embassy, identify yourself either by Qatar ID or copy of your Kenyan passport or a copy of your Kenyan ID and the embassy will issue you a one-way travel document to exit the country."
The envoy said a majority of these victims are domestic workers, housemaids and a few cleaners.
He said that the rest are people who have lost jobs through retrenchment and, instead of leaving the country, chose to remain behind hoping they would get other jobs."I would like to appeal to them that they can't move to a new job if their former employer has not issued them with NOC. I would urge you to return home for now and come back and seek opportunities later. For now, take advantage of the amnesty," the ambassador said.
According to him, Kenyans who have absconded work are few.
"Kenyans who have run away from their employers are really few, but those who have been brought by employers who have not issued them with ID cards, medical documents or even those who have never been taken for medical screening since they arrived in the country are many."
"We have taken up these matters with the authorities and some of these Kenyans have been assisted and a firm action has been taken up against them."
The envoy reiterated that the Kenyan Embassy takes up the cases of Kenyan expatriates who are not paid their salaries, ID cards, healthcare, decent accommodation and the authorities have gone out of their way to support them."I would like to commend the Chairman of the National Human Rights Committee, who has really supported us."
According to him, there are Kenyans who are having problems with a few companies.
He, however, reiterated that the embassy has no budget to buy tickets for the victims and sometimes they are forced to reach out to their relatives back home to get tickets for them.
