DOHA: As many as 120 Nepali migrant workers living illegally in Saudi Arabia have got exit visas.

According to Nepali Embassy in Saudi Arabia, the country has granted exit visa to 120 Nepali nationals who had applied for it between December 2019 to March 2020.

Embassy sources informed that many Nepali nationals working as migrant workers in Saudi Arabia were on ‘illegal’ status as many companies there had not renewed their residential work permit held mandatory for migrant workers.

The Nepali Embassy there had requested the Saudi government to facilitate the process of letting the Nepalis in ‘illegal’ status there return home by providing the exit visa.

Although the embassy had provided the details about Nepali migrant workers in such status some time before, the sudden outbreak of coronavirus pandemic had disturbed the process.

According to the embassy sources, at the initiation of the embassy 618 Nepali nationals have already got exit visas from Saudi Arabia.

The embassy has requested Nepalis subjected to the exit visa to prepared for their home return via Nepal Airlines or Himalayan Airlines which arrange for the flight from Riyad and Damam of Saudi Arabia.