By Ashraf Padanna/Malappuram, Kerala

As Saudi Arabia enforces a new labour policy that will likely hit a large number of Indian expat workers, a group in Kerala has unveiled plan for rehabilitating the returning migrants.

The labour policy, known as Nitaqat, mandates that 5 to 25% staff of a private company, with minimum 49 employees, must be Saudis. And the deadline to implement the new law expired on Wednesday.’

This has caused concern in Kerala which has 700,000 expatriates in the kingdom and whose remittances are a lifeline for its economy.

The Ma’din Academy, a charity and educational group which is also working for the welfare of non-resident Indians (NRIs), yesterday announced the rehabilitation plan which include training programmes, counselling sessions, career guidance, soft skill development programmes, family orientation camps and help desk.

A special centre called ‘Ma’din Lifelong Learning Centre’ has been established to implement these projects. Ma’din educational centres in India and Ma’din committees in the Gulf countries will be part of the rehabilitation initiative.

“Most of the religious, political and cultural organisations and educational centres in Kerala work with the generous contributions from NRIs. This the time for payback,” Sayyid Ibrahimul Khalilul Bukhari, chairman of the Ma’din, told reporters here.

Experts will lead special counselling sessions for the returnees and their families to overcome the psychological and emotional problems. Special training will be held to guide them about the opportunities in India and other countries.

Facilities at the Ma’din Polytechnic College, Industrial Training Institute, Arts and Science College, schools and language resource centres will conduct the professional training camps. Crash courses have been planned in fields like mechatronics, civil, mechanical, electrical and information technology.

Anticipating an exodus of unskilled workforce, Ma’din Academy has already conducted three training sessions.

Meanwhile, the Indian embassy in Riyadh said it was in regular touch with the authorities in the kingdom “to request that no Indian national legally employed in Saudi Arabia faces difficulties.”

Those who have completed the formalities with the Saudi authorities for their final exit, but do not have a valid passport, would be issued a travel document (Emergency Certificate) for their return to India, the embassy said.

The Emergency Certificate is for one-way return journey to India only and its validity is only three months. Those who possess valid passports do not require the certificate.

“There is no need for any panic in this evolving situation. The embassy can be contacted for additional information, if required,” it said.

Meanwhile in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said given the diplomatic and trade relations with Saudi Arabia, people from the state in the kingdom and their families back home have little cause for worry.

“At the moment, there is no cause for panic over the labour issues in Saudi Arabia. We are confident that on account of the excellent diplomatic and trade relations that we have with Saudi Arabia, things can be sorted out,” Chandy told reporters.

Chandy will brief Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the external affairs ministry on the new developments in Saudi Arabia.

The opposition Communist Party of India (Marxist) said the government had not planned in advance, despite being aware of the new policy that took effect six months ago.

“This government has been sleeping over this issue and they never took any positive steps to come to the help of the workers who would have to return all of a sudden,” said a CPM leader.

According to the annual report of the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs, Saudi Arabia continues to be a desired destination among low- and semi-skilled workers from India, attracting 289,297 people in 2011.

In 2011, 2.28mn Keralites were working abroad. The number was 2.19mn in 2008, 1.84mn in 2003 and 1.36mn in 1998.