HYDERABAD: After a 16-year long agonising wait in Sharjah, a much-relieved Dobbali Durgaiah finally set foot in his village home in Rajanna-Sircilla district on Wednesday. “I am extremely happy to be back home,” Durgaiah (47), who worked as an illegal labourer at various construction sites in the Gulf, told TOI over phone.

While his Eglaspur village, which was formerly in Karimnagar district, erupted in joy, Durgaiah, surprisingly, was allowed to head to the village. “The authorities conducted tests for the coronavirus upon my arrival at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in the morning and told me I am free to go,” he said. Initially, it was thought the health officials would shift him to a quarantine centre as a preventive measure for coronavirus.

Durgaiah said his family wanted him to return, but he could not because of legal complications. His passport was taken away by a job agent on landing there 16 years ago.

Social worker, vice-president of Indian Peoples’ Forum in Dubai Janagam Srinivas said Durgaiah was without work for the last six months. “It was a difficult period. He had the option of leaving Sharjah without penalty, but he chose to make use of amnesty now,” he said.

Though the UAE government had announced amnesty from time to time for illegal workers to return home, Rajaiah continued to stay to make a living. Help also came from Girish Pant, volunteers’ committee in-charge (overstay and seafarers), Consulate General of India, Dubai, who bought him ticket to fly back to India. “We had to go around several government offices to get clearances for Durgaiah’s repatriation,” Girish said from Dubai.