Safeguarding expatriates

The absence of a mechanism to record the number of Indian nationals working or studying in any country has proved to be a problem, particularly at the time of a disaster — natural or man-made. The problem arises when the government plans to fly them back urgently from a war-torn or disaster-struck nation, as it is not known clearly how many have to be rescued. The only mechanism that exists is the Immigration Bureau, but the data it has is collected mostly from airports and, hence, is limited to only one mode of transport that a citizen can take to go abroad.

Keeping this in view, a parliamentary committee has asked the government to take steps to encourage all Indian nationals, including migrant workers and students, abroad to get themselves registered with the Indian embassies or consulates in respective countries. Noting that since such registration is voluntary, 100 per cent of the diaspora may not be registered with the missions or posts. This would be of great help to all Indians at times of crises like Covid-19 pandemic or wars such as those in Ukraine or earlier in Afghanistan and Kuwait. The Standing Committee on External Affairs, which comprises 31 MPs from both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, noted that a large chunk of the diaspora, especially migrant workers and students, do not get themselves registered. It recommended that though there are various means available for such registration to be done, the government would have to take fresh initiatives to carry out extensive campaigns in various countries to encourage Indians residing, working or studying there to register. This, it said, would not only create a database of Indians abroad, but also connect with them if and when there is a crisis.

The 31-member panel, headed by BJP MP PP Chaudhary, asked the government to expedite the setting up of a ‘Global Indian Students Portal’ to provide information to the students and assist them in taking an informed decision while selecting courses in universities abroad. The Committee said once the portal is operationalised, cases of duping of students by fake universities and fraudulent agents would come down. The panel asked the External Affairs Ministry to expedite the process of data collection, collation and operationalisation of the portal, and provision adequate resources for the project. This recommendation came amidst past reports of some Indian students falling prey to elements who dupe these youngsters to get admission at fake institutions abroad, especially in the US and Canada.

Another significant issue highlighted by the committee was the immediate setting up of ‘One Stop Centres’ to help distressed women abroad duped in the name of marriage to a non-resident Indian or employment in foreign land. Though latest official statistics are hard to come by, a 2018 petition by eight such women in the Supreme Court said there were more than 40,000 wives who had been deceived into marrying NRI men. These men were later found to be either already married, unemployed or not as projected for marriage. The government has dealt with more than 6,000 grievances against NRI men from 2015 to 2019. In view of the pivotal role likely to be played by such centres in providing timely assistance to distressed Indian women abroad, the committee directed that these ‘One Stop Centres’ should be opened immediately in the embassies and missions abroad.

Regarding issues relating to Indian workers, the committee expressed anguish after the External Affairs Ministry said it “does not possess overall data of migrant workers who returned to India in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.” However, the Ministry provided the panel with the number of people who returned from all over the world through flights arranged under the Vande Bharat Mission. And the number of such returnees was about 8,25,000. The committee said a very large number of Indian workers had returned from different countries, having lost their jobs during the Covid pandemic.

As per data presented by the Bureau of Immigration, the numbers of Indian nationals holding ECR (Emigration Clearance Required) passports, who went abroad for employment between January 2019 and June 2022, were: 6,44,153 (2019), 1,36,314 (2020), 1,50,852 (2021) and 2,33,070 (till June 30, 2022). The data clearly showed an upward trend in the number of Indian migrant workers going abroad for work since the relaxation of covid-related travel restrictions in 2021. The committee also noted that with the removal of covid-related health protocols and vaccination requirements, the government made efforts towards helping the return of workers and their families to Gulf countries, and 2,26,818 emigration clearances were granted in the last two years.

Regarding the issue of employment and livelihood of migrant workers, including ensuring that they get their payments regularly and are not exploited by their foreign employers in foreign soil, the panel said it viewed the matter seriously and asked the External Affairs Ministry to facilitate new recruitment of such workers, with the Indian missions and posts taking up the issue of realisation of payments due to them on a priority basis. It lamented that there was “no specific scheme” for the rehabilitation of the migrant workers who lost their jobs in other countries in the wake of the covid pandemic. These included a “huge population of Gulf returnees”.

The need was felt to establish a rehabilitation scheme to ensure livelihood security for those workers who lost their jobs or could not return or were forced to stay back in foreign land. Such a comprehensive scheme, it said, should be worked out in coordination with other concerned ministries and the state governments to secure means of livelihood for these workers and their families. The Committee asked the Ministry to initiate consultations with all stakeholders without delay. To this recommendation, the External Affairs Ministry referred to the ‘Special Assistance to States for Capital Expenditure’ scheme launched in 2020-21, and said the unused funds under this head could be used for the purpose. But the panel was not satisfied with the Ministry’s response and reiterated its recommendation about setting up a separate fund for rehabilitation of those who have lost their jobs due to a pandemic or any other disaster abroad.

Regarding the welfare of Indian workers abroad, the committee observed that the government had signed agreements with the Gulf Cooperation Council countries and Jordan. There was also a specific Labour Mobility Partnership Agreement between India and Denmark signed in 2009, and with Japan on Specified Skilled Worker in 2021. A similar Labour Mobility Agreement has been concluded with Portugal. Furthermore, memoranda on migration and mobility were under process with several countries such as Germany, Mauritius, Portugal, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Australia and the Russian Federation. India had also signed the Global Compact for Migration as part of its partnership with the International Organisation for Migration and the International Labour Organisation. The agreements are aimed at providing safe and legal migration opportunities to Indian workers in potential employment destinations all over the world.

However, the impact of such MoUs and agreements and whether they have translated into better for migrant workers are not known. Hence, the Committee urged the Ministry to carry out an impact assessment of the existing Migration and Mobility Agreements and monitor the implementation of these agreements and ensure that the issues of interest of the migrant workers and their grievances are “actually addressed”.

Views expressed are personal