Measures to address Overseas Indian Workers’ issues

Indian workers emigrate for seeking employment in all categories of work ranging from low skilled to high skilled professional jobs. Some instances of complaints of diverse nature are received in the missions which relate to ill-treatment and harassment, non payment of agreed salaries/dues, contractual violations, refusal of leave or exit/re-entry permits, withholding of passports etc. Data is available only for ECR (Emigration Clearance Required) category of workers going abroad.  This category includes those workers who have not passed class 10 level school examinations and are emigrating to one of 17 ECR notified countries for employment.  The details of ECR Category workers who emigrated to these 17 notified countries during 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 and the estimated number of Indians/ workers in these countries are as follows: 

SL No	Country	2008	2009	2010	2011	Number of Indians/ workers as per the Mission’s estimation
1.	Afghanistan	405	395	256	487	4193
2.	Bahrain	31924	17541	15101	14323	4,00,000
3.	Indonesia	33	9	3	22	NA*
4.	Iraq	---	---	390	1177	14,000
5.	Jordan	1377	847	2562	1413	8000
6.	Kuwait	35562	42091	37667	45149	6,41,062
7.	Lebanon	75	250	765	534	10,000
8.	Libya	5040	3991	5221	477	600
9.	Malaysia	21123	11345	20577	17947	5500
10.	Oman	89659	74963	105807	73819	5,81,832
11.	Qatar	82937	46292	45752	41710	4,50,000
12.	S. Arabia	228406	281110	275172	289297	18,00,000
13.	Sudan	1045	708	957	1175	3956
14.	Syria	74	0	2	118	175
15.	Thailand	15	5	05	27	NA*
16.	U. A. E.	349827	130302	130910	138861	18,00,000
17.	Yemen	492	421	208	29	NA*
TOTAL		848601	610272	641356	626565	2726794

NA*- Not available

Apart from taking up the matter through Indian Missions from time to time the Government has taken several steps to address the issue of Indian emigrants, which include the following: -

(i)      Nation-wide awareness campaigns through the media to educate intending emigrants about legal emigration procedures, the risk of illegal migration and precautions to be taken during emigration.

(ii)     The Government has established an Overseas Workers Resource Centre (OWRC) which is a 24 hour telephone helpline in eight languages to provide authentic information to emigrants as well as intending emigrants on all aspects of emigration.

(iii)     The Ministry revised the Emigration (Amendment) Rules 2009 w.e.f 9^th July, 2009 revising the eligibility criteria for Recruiting Agents (RAs).

(iv)  In case, the involvement of a recruiting agent is reported then action under Emigration Act, 1983 is taken.  Blacklisting of recalcitrant employers is also resorted to.

(v) Pravasi Bhartiya Bima Yojana (PBBY) is a compulsory Insurance Scheme for protection of emigrant workers.

(vi) The Pension and Life Insurance Fund has been launched on a pilot basis and is being introduced on an all-India basis in 2012-13.

(vii) The Government has established Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF) in all Indian Missions to provide onsite support to the emigrants, in distressed. 

(viii) Government has established an Indian Workers’ Resource Centre (IWRC) at Dubai (UAE).

    (ix)      The Government has signed MOUs with seven major labour receiving countries to lay down the framework for bilateral cooperation for the protection and welfare of workers.  Besides, Government has also signed and operationalised Social Security Agreements (SSAs) with eight countries.

This information was given by the Minister of Overseas Indian Affair, Shri Vayalar Ravi in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.