The Nepalese community has once again launched a signature campaign to get their government to establish a diplomatic mission for them in the UAE.
This is the second time in the last three years that such a campaign has been conducted.
The 55,000-strong community in the UAE is at present dependent on diplomats coming from Riyadh once every six months. They have to send their urgent documents to Riyadh for attestation and renewal.
There are more than 350,000 Nepalese in the Gulf.
The signature campaign is being run by the newly elected executive body of the Nepalese Society. The new members of the society's executive committee are C.P. Sabkota, president; Chakrabahadur Rai and K.B. Dhakal, vice-presidents; S.P. Bhattrai, treasurer; K. Bhusal, secretary; Dil Bahadur G.C., undersecretary, and Captain P.J. Shah, patron.
"Our top priority is to get the society registered. We have sought help for this from our embassy in Riyadh.
"We are also strongly mobilising support for our demand for a diplomatic mission in the UAE. They should either establish a full-fledged mission in the UAE or a lone Consul in Dubai or Abu Dhabi, said Sabkota.
"It will also help if a consul from the three-member staff in Riyadh is stationed here in the UAE, or if there is an increase in the frequency of their visits to three times a year," said Sabkota.
Unfortunately, the Nepal-ese embassy in Riyadh is also working under pressure as it has to cover five countries in the Gulf.
"Last time during the amnesty the Nepalese diplomats from our Riyadh embassy were here.
"In the five to six days they were here we managed to get 1,050 passports renewed and about 200 documents attested," said Sabkota.
Organising free medical camps for the community with the help of Indian doctors is also on the society's agenda.
Gulf News
