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WEDNESDAY, August 12, 2015 / 26 Shawwal 1436 AH
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Omani youth plan civic engagement SARAH MACDONALD
sarah@timesofoman.com
DO NOT MISS THE BUS, ILLEGALS TOLD Social workers are finding it quite difficult to convince many of the illegal workers to avail themselves of the amnesty offer
REJIMON K
reji@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Even though the Ministry of Manpower has extended the amnesty period for overstaying expatriates, social workers say that it is quite challenging to convince some to make use of the amnesty. “There are still a few who are reluctant to make use of the am-
nesty. We try to convince them, but they cite various reasons and show little interest. They prefer to stay back and risk their future,” Hari Babu, an Indian social worker in Muscat, told the Times of Oman. “When they see that we are pushing them to go back home, they try to avoid us and disappear,” added Hari. The amnesty, which was an-
nounced by the ministry on May 3, has been extended by another three months until October 28. During the amnesty, undocumented and overstaying migrant workers can leave Oman without paying a fine or facing any legal action for having violated the resident status and work permit in Oman. When it was announced at the end of April, embassies of four Asian countries were expecting some 50,000 undocumented and overstaying expatriate workers to accept it. However, according to an embassy official, the number so far would be around 19,000. “At our embassy, we try our best to spread the message of the amnesty to all parts of Oman through different methods. We do
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Construction firm fails to pay salary, 200 workers stranded REJIMON K
reji@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Around 200 workers at a Muscat-based construction company are stranded as their salaries have not been paid for the past few months. “Our salaries are pending for the past five months. It has become quite difficult to push for the days ahead. Even money for food has become a problem. We were waiting for the company to pay us, but they have failed to keep their promise. Now, five months have passed, and it has become quite difficult to survive,” workers told the Times of Oman. Dues “The company is just asking us to leave. They are not ready to clear our dues. Meanwhile, civil status cards of many workers have expired and the company is also
not ready to renew them. We are caught up in a Catch-22 situation,” added the workers. The Times of Oman attempted to get a comment from the company over the workers’ claims, but in vain. The company has project sites in Ibri, Mabelah, Nakhal and Bausher. “Workers at the Ibri project
site have stopped work. It’s the same condition at the other sites. We have lodged a complaint with the Indian embassy on August 10. We are ready to leave but we need to be paid for our work. We cannot leave empty-handed,” said the workers. “The health of some of the workers is also worsening. We do not know what to do,” the workers added. Meanwhile, a Muscat-based legal advisor said that the workers should approach their embassy and the labour department to resolve the issue. “The Oman government and the labour law guarantee a salary for the workers according to the signed job contract agreed upon at the time of employment. So, if there is any violation in that the workers have the right to approach the labour department,” added the legal advisor.
not encourage any of our citizens to overstay without valid documents,” said an official from the Bangladeshi embassy. According to the official, 20,400 Bangladeshi workers had registered with the amnesty programme, and so far 9,000 have left. “In the next week, another 1,000 will be leaving. Their tickets are ready. The rest are waiting to get their papers cleared,” added the official. According to an Indian social worker who closely co-ordinates with the embassy on the amnesty programme, around 2,500 Indians have left. The ministry’s data last week revealed that between July 21 and 30, more than 3,000 undocumented and overstaying expatriates had registered for the amnesty. >A5
MUSCAT: Today as the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) commemorates International Youth Day, more and more young Omanis are setting examples as leaders who care about their communities. The annual occasion is being celebrated around the world today under the theme “Youth Civic Engagement,” which highlights the actions young people around the world take to improve their well-being and that of their societies. “I see quite a lot of ways where young people are pushing their ways into giving back to society,” says Bader Al Lawati, a 29-yearold Omani environmentalist who travelled to Antarctica to raise awareness on climate change and learn how to better promote his campaign against the use of plastic bags. Al Lawati says youth in Oman have many talents and they shouldn’t be afraid to use them and share them with society, building their skills for the future. In addition to his own environmental campaigns, he volunteers his time as a photographer to help other charities or nonprofit organisations. He says Omani youth need to be involved in society because they’ll be the future leaders. “Convince people to do the right thing when they’re young and when they’re in the positions to be the CEOs and whatnot, they have those decisions and ideas built into them. “They’ll have been thinking about their contributions to so-
ciety for 10 or 20 years,” he says. Shorooq Abu Nasser, a Palestinian who grew up in Oman, is another youth who exemplifies a concern for the people around her. She founded I-Care, an organisation that gives water to labourers in the hot summer months and lets youth in Oman engage with these men. “It’s about creating a relationship between the youth in Oman with our local construction workers, to know their stories and what they do. It creates a positive impact on others’ lives and spreads awareness about the needs of our construction workers,” she explains. Abu Nasser says youth are the backbone of any society, and in particular those like Oman where they make up the majority of the population. She says if youth are engaged with their societies they will be more aware of their surrounding and have more job opportunities and positive life experiences. “Community engagement shapes ones’ identity, thoughts and lifestyle. I believe that the experiences the youth gather will help them personally and professionally in their careers,” she says. >A5