13 May 2012

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 9th 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.

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