Oman and India are expected to ink a Memorandum of Understanding on labour, employment and manpower, in December or early next year, a senior Omani official said.
An Indian delegation visited Muscat early this week at the invitation of the Ministry of Manpower and held talks with Omani officials on labour issues.
"Discussions were fruitful and the MoU, which is likely to be signed soon, will essentially focus on the interests of Indian workers in Oman. It will help authorities regulate recruitment, sponsorship and workers' rights," officials were quoted as saying by Times of Oman.
The MoU is expected to solve this problem. India has already signed MoUs on labour, employment and manpower with Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.
The number of Indian housemaids has sharply increased in the last 10 years. More than 200,000 Indian women are working as household service workers in the Gulf.
The total number of Indians living in Oman is nearly 400,000, the largest expatriate community in the country. A number of persons of Indian origin have been granted Omani nationality in the recent past, and some of them are recipients of high awards of the Omani government.
Of late, the Oman government has cleared a list of 584 Indian illegal immigrants for repatriation to India without payment of fine.
{{/usCountry}}Of late, the Oman government has cleared a list of 584 Indian illegal immigrants for repatriation to India without payment of fine.
{{/usCountry}}The process of finger-printing and issuance of ECs, according to sources, is underway. However, there are still some people who do not want to avail of this opportunity. Out of 584 persons, only 321 have responded to the Indian embassy calls and reported to the labour department for finger-printing.