ABU DHABI // The opening of a UAE Consulate in Kerala is a boon for many UAE residents from the southern Indian state who had to travel to New Delhi or Mumbai for consular services, Indian expatriates said.
In the past, Keralites had to travel more than 2,500 kilometres to the UAE Embassy in Delhi or to the consulate in Mumbai to complete visa procedures.
Gopalan Vijayaragavan, a Keralite resident of Abu Dhabi, said the previous other option was to use recruitment agencies “who charge a hefty amount”.
“We need our certificates to be attested by the UAE mission, so we had to travel to New Delhi,” said Mr Vijayaragavan, whose home in Kerala is less than a kilometre from the new consulate in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala.
Last Wednesday, the UAE inaugurated the consulate and appointed Jamal Al Zaabi Consul General.
“Now it’s very convenient for us and saves us time and money,” said Mr Vijayaragavan, who believes that the new consulate will boost bilateral trade and tourism ties and prevent the exploitation of Keralites who wish to work in the UAE.
“There are many fraudulent recruitment agencies who take unnecessary money under the guise of visa and consular services,” he said.
“The UAE employment permit is free but some people have paid 150,000 Indian rupees (Dh8,240) for that.
“Now workers can approach the mission and check the status of their visa and company.”
Last week, Mr Al Zaabi said: “A large number of workers who come to the UAE every year to realise their job ambitions and improve their living standards hail from Kerala.”
Padmanabhan Veetil, honorary president of the Kerala Social Centre in Abu Dhabi, said the new consulate in Kerala would benefit the Indian state and the UAE “as we have good trade and tourism relations”.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said the opening of the second UAE Consulate in India would bolster bilateral relations.
Arun Kumar, a Keralite lorry driver who lives in Sharjah, hailed the opening of the consulate in Kerala.
“This is good news for all of us,” he said. “India is a vast country and we have to travel thousands of kilometres to reach another state. It’s not like the UAE.
“Now we don’t have to cough up money to agents and we can directly visit the consulate and get our work done.
“Just before the opening of the mission, my brother travelled to Delhi to access consular service. We always went to Delhi or Mumbai.”
anwar@thenational.ae
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