Lok Sabha Question No. 2763 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-08-02
Subject: Foreign Jobs for Indians
Ministry: EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: JAYADEV GALLA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2763 TO BE ANSWERED ON 02.08.2017

## FOREIGN JOBS FOR INDIANS

## 2763.  SHRI JAYADEV GALLA:

Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether it is a fact that foreign jobs for Indians have come down this year when compared to last year in Saudi Arabia, USA, UK, Australia, Singapore etc.;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor;
- (c) whether any statistics are maintained by the Government in this regard;
- (d) if  so,  the  details  thereof  during  the  last  five  years,  country and year-wise; and
- (e) the manner in which the Government is planning to address this serious problem?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS [GEN. (DR) V. K. SINGH (RETD)]

(a) to (e) The exact numbers of foreign jobs for Indians in foreign countries is not available with the Ministry as many countries do not have policy to  share these data with Indian Missions abroad. Indian Mission in the UAE has reported that such information is not shared  by  the  local  UAE  authorities  and  hence  it  cannot  be confirmed whether foreign jobs for Indians have come down in the UAE  or  not.  However,  the  Government  maintains  the  data  in respect  of  Emigration  Check  Required  (ECR)  passport  holders, travelling  legally  to  any  of  the  18  ECR  countries  for  overseas employment. The number of such Indian workers emigrating to the UAE over the last 3 years is as follows: 2,24,037 (2014), 2,25,512 (2015)  and  1,63,731  (2016).  According  to  the  limited  information received  from  Saudi  sources,  Indian  Mission  in  Saudi  Arabia conveyed that  there  were  about  25  lakh  Indian  workers  in  Saudi Arabia  in  2016.Indian  Mission  in  Bahrain  has  reported  that  the number of Indian expatriate workforce in Bahrain, including dependants, has been increasing and the number has grown from 2,53,907 in 2013 to 3,18,731 in 2017, up to July. Indian Mission in Oman has reported that there has been no significant change in the number of Indian workers in Oman despite economic slowdown due to  low  oil  prices.  While  the  number  of  Indian  workers  in  Oman stood  at  5,99,473  in  December  2013,  it  increased  to  6,69,882  in December 2015 and stood at 6,89,600 in December 2016. In  the  United  States,  in  April  2017,  President  Trump  issued an Executive Order titled "Buy American and Hire American' which states that in order to create higher wages and employment rates for  workers in the US, and to protect their economic interests, it shall  be  the  policy  of  the  executive  branch  to  rigorously  enforce and  administer  laws  governing  entry  into  the  United  States  of workers  abroad.  The  UK  Government  introduced  certain  changes to  its  work  visa  regime  in  November  2016  and  April  2017,  like increasing  the  salary  thresholds  and  levy  of  Immigration  Health Surcharge and Immigration Skills Charge.  In April, 2017, Australia announced  phased  abolition  of  457  visa  category  for skilled worker, to be replaced with the 'Temporary Skills Shortage Visas' programme starting March 2018, providing for a short-term visa for up  to  two  years  and  medium  term  visas  of  up  to  four  years depending on the occupation. As the number of professions in the eligible  Occupation  List  is  curtailed,  it  will  impact  the  number  of jobs available under 'Temporary Skills Shortage Visas' programme. These changes/proposed changes are not India specific and their impact will be assessed in due course.

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