Lok Sabha Question No. 611 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-09-16
Subject: Job Loss Due to COVID-19
Ministry: EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: Abdul Majeed Ariff

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.611 TO BE ANSWERED ON 16.09.2020

## JOB LOSS DUE TO COVID-19

611.  ADV. A.M. ARIFF:

Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) the number of people who lost their job and came back to India from various countries due to COVID-19;
- (b) whether the Government had formulated any action plan for these people;
- (c) if so, the details, thereof; and
- (d) if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRYOF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS [SHRI V. MURALEEDHARAN]

(a) The Government has accorded the highest priority to the welfare and safety of Indian nationals abroad. T o facilitate return of Indian nationals stranded in various countries due to restriction imposed in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic, the Vande Bharat Mission commenced on 7 May 2020. Since then, more than 13, 74, 237 Indians (as on 10 September 2020) have returned to India via air, land and sea. Of them, 3, 08, 099 were workers, not all of them had lost their jobs, but returned on account of Covid-19 situation. Based on the data shared by the passengers with our Missions, no. of workers who have returned to India are attached country wise at Annexure-I. In   recent   months,   Indians   have   started   to   return   to   the   Gulf   and   other countries to rejoin their jobs or for family reunions.

(b) & (c)   With the aim of making the best of our skilled workforce returning to   the   country   due   to   the   ongoing   pandemic,   the   Government   of   India launched   an   initiative   SWADES   (Skilled   Workers   Arrival   Database   for Employment Support) to conduct a skill mapping exercise of the returning citizens under the Vande Bharat Mission. SWADES, a joint initiative of the

Ministry   of   Skill   Development   &   Entrepreneurship,   the   Ministry   of   Civil Aviation and the Ministry of External Affairs, aimed to create a database of qualified citizens based on their skill sets and experience to tap into and fulfill   demand   of   Indian   and   foreign   companies.   It   was   aimed   at   all   the citizens from all over the world, across ECR and ECNR categories.  This was done to facilitate reintegration of migrant workers into the labour market and promote effective employment opportunities. For facilitating   employment opportunities, details of SWADES registrations have been integrated with Skill   India's   ASEEM   (Aatmanirbhar   Skilled   Employee   Employer   Mapping) portal which  was   launched   on   10   July   2020.   Further,   all   data   regarding Indians returning under Vande Bharat Mission was also shared with relevant State Governments, on a real time basis.

- (d) Does not arise.

***

## Annexure-I for Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No.611

| Country           |   Workers |
|-------------------|-----------|
| Afghanistan       |         0 |
| Algeria           |       584 |
| Anguilla          |       193 |
| Argentina         |         0 |
| Armenia           |        12 |
| Australia         |       405 |
| Bahrain           |     14920 |
| Bangladesh        |      1517 |
| Barbados          |         0 |
| Belarus           |         1 |
| Belgium           |        32 |
| Benin             |        83 |
| Botswana          |        60 |
| Brazil            |        19 |
| Brunei Darussalam |        88 |

| Bulgaria                     |     6 |
|------------------------------|-------|
| Burundi                      |     0 |
| Cambodia                     |    99 |
| Cameroon                     |    37 |
| Canada                       |   951 |
| Chad                         |     5 |
| Chile                        |     6 |
| China                        |   184 |
| Colombia                     |     1 |
| Congo Republic of            |   372 |
| Cote dIvoire                 |   270 |
| Cyprus                       |    24 |
| Czech Republic               |     0 |
| Democratic Republic of Congo |   365 |
| Denmark                      |     1 |
| Djibouti                     |    11 |
| Egypt                        |    92 |
| Eritrea                      |    29 |
| Ethiopia                     |   139 |
| Fiji                         |     9 |
| Finland                      |     8 |
| France                       |   613 |
| Georgia                      |     9 |
| Germany                      |   328 |
| Ghana                        |   339 |
| Guatemala                    |     0 |
| Guinea                       |     0 |
| Hungary                      |     0 |
| Indonesia                    |   517 |
| Iran                         |   156 |
| Iraq                         |  3960 |
| Ireland                      |     4 |
| Israel                       |    73 |
| Italy                        |   565 |
| Jamaica                      |   266 |
| Japan                        |   125 |
| Jordan                       |   212 |
| Kazakhstan                   |   584 |
| Kenya                        |    78 |
| Korea Republic of (South)    |     1 |
| Kuwait                       | 44248 |
| Kyrgyzstan                   |    28 |
| Lebanon                      |   503 |

| Madagascar       |    79 |
|------------------|-------|
| Malawi           |    53 |
| Malaysia         |   149 |
| Maldives         |  4584 |
| Malta            |    57 |
| Mauritania       |   139 |
| Mauritius        |   246 |
| Mexico           |     8 |
| Morocco          |     8 |
| Mozambique       |   131 |
| Myanmar          |     5 |
| Nepal            |     3 |
| Netherlands      |    78 |
| New Zeland       |   205 |
| Nigeria          |  2207 |
| Norway           |   243 |
| Oman             | 50536 |
| Papua New Guinea |     0 |
| Philippines      |   204 |
| Poland           |   119 |
| Portugal         |    24 |
| Qatar            | 30509 |
| Russia           |   262 |
| Rwanda           |     0 |
| Saudi Arabia     | 49000 |
| Senegal          |    84 |
| Seychelles       |   215 |
| Sierra Leone     |   188 |
| Singapore        |  5043 |
| Somalia          |    52 |
| South Africa     |   261 |
| South Korea      |     5 |
| South Sudan      |     2 |
| Spain            |     5 |
| Sri Lanka        |  1268 |
| Sudan            |   105 |
| Suriname         |     0 |
| Sweden           |   122 |
| Switzerland      |     0 |
| Tajikistan       |    18 |
| Tanzania         |   167 |
| Thailand         |    39 |
| Togo             |    18 |

| Trinidad and Tobago   |      1 |
|-----------------------|--------|
| Tunisia               |      1 |
| Turkey                |     34 |
| UAE                   |  84497 |
| Uganda                |    247 |
| Ukraine               |     41 |
| United Kingdom        |   1098 |
| USA                   |   2390 |
| Uzbekistan            |     82 |
| Venezuela             |      0 |
| Vietnam               |    135 |
| Zambia                |      0 |
| Total                 | 308099 |

***