167 expatriates back and safe

Hyderabad: As many as 167 passengers, including several women aboard a special flight from Dubai, heaved a sigh of relief as the Air India aircraft touched down at the Rajiv Gandhi international airport here at 5.30 am on Saturday.
Emotional scenes were witnessed, as the passengers, all of them staying illegally in United Arab Emirates (UAE), came out of the airport to a tearful reunion with their near and dear ones. They were mostly from Nizamabad, Karimnagar, Medak, Adilabad, Nalgonda and East Godavari districts. But for the timely help from the State Government, they would have ended up in UAE prisons for overstaying.
Energy Minister Mohd. Ali Shabbir who looks after the NRI affairs in the State visited Dubai and escorted back 167 persons. The Government has spent a whopping Rs. 1.30 crore to bring back 1,256 illegal expatriates by arranging special flights from Dubai and Sharjah. Mr. Shabbir told The Hindu that out of 75,000 Indians staying illegally in UAE, 40,000 hailed from Andhra Pradesh.
04/11/07 The Hindu

To Read the News in full at Source, Click the Headline

Categories: Air India - International Nov 2007, Foreign Nov 2007, NACIL Nov 2007