Lok Sabha Question No. 450 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-02-03
Subject: Database of Indians Living Abroad
Ministry: EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: Devendrappa Y, Ranjeetsingh Naik Nimbalkar, Kanakmal Katara, Rattan Lal Kataria, Sunil Kumar Singh, Arun Sao, Devji Mansingram Patel, Sudhakar Tukaram Shrangre, Vijay Baghel, Mohan Mandavi, Saikia Dilip

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

ANSWERED ON- 03/02/2023

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO-450

## DATABASE OF INDIANS LIVING ABROAD

450.   Shri Y. Devendrappa Shri Kanakmal Katara Shri Sunil Kumar Singh Shri Ratan Lal Kataria Shri Arun Sao Shri Devji M. Patel Shri Ranjeet Singh Hindurao Naik Nimbalkar Shri Sudhakar Thukaram Shrangare Shri Vijay Baghel Shri Mohan Mandavi Shri Dilip Saikia

Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state :-

(a) whether the Government maintains data of Indian citizens who died at the workplace while working abroad during the last three years, State-wise including Haryana and Rajasthan, if not, steps taken to prepare such database for emergency use;

(b) whether the Government conducts an inquiry into the workplace death of Indians abroad, if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether the Government provided any financial assistance to the dependents of such persons during the last three years, if so, the details thereof;

(d) the number of grievances registered by the Indian citizens during the said period along with number of cases resolved and pending, country-wise;

(e) whether the Government has taken cognizance of forced labour in some Gulf countries, if so, the details and steps taken thereon; and

(f) the number of agents identified and action taken against them during the last three years for sending Indians abroad on illegal visas?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

## (SHRI V. MURALEEDHARAN)

(a to c) Cases of deaths of Indian citizens in foreign countries, which are registered in the Indian Missions/Posts are maintained by the respective Indian Missions/ Posts.

Whenever any case of death of Indian worker is reported, concerned Indian Mission seeks prompt intervention of the local government for conducting proper investigation into the death of Indian citizen.     Death compensation in such cases is settled by the sponsors and insurance company upon requests received from the family members of the deceased. In this regard, Mission facilitates legal assistance through our empanelled lawyers as per the request, if any, received from the family. In addition, in many countries such cases are being settled directly between employers and families of the deceased as per local laws of the host countries. Government also facilitates transportation of mortal remains of the deceased or local burial as per the request of the family. Expenditure on the same is borne   by   the   government   on   means   tested   basis.   In   addition,   Government   has   been   effectively implementing Pravasi Bharatiya Bima Yojana (PBBY) as a mandatory insurance scheme for all Emigration Check Required (ECR) category workers going to ECR countries. The scheme provides an insurance cover of 10 Lakhs in case of accidental death or permanent disability and  other benefits at a nominal insurance premium of Rs.275/- for 2 years or Rs.375/- for 3 years.

(d) The number of grievances resolved during the last three years country-wise are placed at Annexure A.

(e & f) The Government of India encourages only legal form of migration from India. The Ministry keep organizing outreach programs to sensitize various stakeholders about benefits of safe and legal migration   and   on   possible   ways   of   preventing   illegal   migration   through   fake   or   unregistered recruitment agencies. Information about illegal agents is also uploaded and updated on regular basis on the eMigrate Portal.

Ministry keeps issuing advisories, media briefings and tweets about fake job rackets from time to time. Such communications  are   also   issued   by   concerned   Indian   Missions/Posts   abroad   through   their websites and social media handles and through the print media.

Quick and decisive action is taken by concerned Indian Missions/Posts as well as by Protector of Emigrant offices in India whenever instances of exploitation of workers by illegal agents are noticed. So far, 2331 illegal agents have been notified in eMigrate Portal. This information is regularly updated based on complaints filed by affected individuals. These complaints are also forwarded to concerned state police authorities for taking suitable action against illegal/fake agents as per existing laws.

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## ANNEXURE A

|   S. No. | Country                      |   During the year 2020 Grievances Resolved |   During the year 2021 Grievances Resolved |   During the year 2022 Grievances Resolved |
|----------|------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|
|        1 | Afghanistan                  |                                          8 |                                          8 |                                          2 |
|        2 | Algeria                      |                                          9 |                                          3 |                                          2 |
|        3 | Angola                       |                                          4 |                                          3 |                                          6 |
|        4 | Argentina                    |                                          1 |                                          0 |                                          0 |
|        5 | Armenia                      |                                         18 |                                          7 |                                          8 |
|        6 | Australia                    |                                        116 |                                         40 |                                         66 |
|        7 | Austria                      |                                          4 |                                          1 |                                          2 |
|        8 | Azerbaijan                   |                                          3 |                                          0 |                                          1 |
|        9 | Bahrain                      |                                        122 |                                         79 |                                         89 |
|       10 | Bangladesh                   |                                         22 |                                         19 |                                         17 |
|       11 | Belarus                      |                                          2 |                                          0 |                                          3 |
|       12 | Belgium                      |                                          7 |                                          5 |                                          8 |
|       13 | Bhutan                       |                                          2 |                                          2 |                                          2 |
|       14 | Botswana                     |                                          0 |                                          1 |                                          1 |
|       15 | Brazil                       |                                          7 |                                          2 |                                          3 |
|       16 | Brunei Darussalam            |                                         14 |                                          8 |                                          1 |
|       17 | Bulgaria                     |                                          0 |                                          0 |                                          0 |
|       18 | Burkina Faso                 |                                          1 |                                          1 |                                          2 |
|       19 | Cambodia                     |                                         11 |                                         11 |                                         31 |
|       20 | Cameroon                     |                                          0 |                                          8 |                                          2 |
|       21 | Canada                       |                                        186 |                                         96 |                                        123 |
|       22 | Chile                        |                                          0 |                                          0 |                                          2 |
|       23 | China -                      |                                         51 |                                         22 |                                         11 |
|       24 | Colombia                     |                                          2 |                                          3 |                                          1 |
|       25 | Cote Divoire                 |                                         11 |                                          9 |                                          7 |
|       26 | Croatia                      |                                          0 |                                          4 |                                          2 |
|       27 | Cuba                         |                                          1 |                                          0 |                                          0 |
|       28 | Cyprus                       |                                          4 |                                          3 |                                          7 |
|       29 | Czech Republic               |                                          8 |                                          0 |                                          0 |
|       30 | DPR Korea                    |                                          1 |                                          0 |                                          0 |
|       31 | Democratic Republic of Congo |                                          6 |                                          9 |                                          7 |
|       32 | Denmark                      |                                          6 |                                          3 |                                          2 |
|       33 | Djibouti                     |                                          0 |                                          2 |                                          0 |
|       34 | Dominican Republic           |                                          0 |                                          0 |                                          0 |
|       35 | Egypt                        |                                          5 |                                          0 |                                          2 |
|       36 | Equatorial Guinea            |                                          1 |                                          1 |                                          0 |
|       37 | Eritrea                      |                                          0 |                                          1 |                                          0 |

|   38 | Ethiopia            |   13 |   12 |   5 |
|------|---------------------|------|------|-----|
|   39 | Fiji                |    6 |    5 |   0 |
|   40 | Finland             |    4 |    3 |   3 |
|   41 | France              |   35 |   24 |  23 |
|   42 | Germany             |   46 |   49 |  39 |
|   43 | Ghana               |   18 |    6 |   2 |
|   44 | Greece              |    1 |    2 |   4 |
|   45 | Guatemala           |    1 |    2 |   0 |
|   46 | Guinea              |    0 |    1 |   1 |
|   47 | Guyana              |    2 |    0 |   2 |
|   48 | Hungary             |    8 |    2 |   1 |
|   49 | Iceland             |    2 |    2 |   0 |
|   50 | Indonesia           |   15 |   13 |  15 |
|   51 | Iran - Bandar Abbas |   31 |    0 |   0 |
|   52 | Iran                |   29 |   13 |  10 |
|   53 | Iraq                |   38 |   25 |  18 |
|   54 | Ireland             |    4 |    2 |  10 |
|   55 | Israel              |    7 |    8 |   5 |
|   56 | Italy               |   46 |   27 |  12 |
|   57 | Jamaica             |    3 |    6 |   1 |
|   58 | Japan               |   58 |    4 |   3 |
|   59 | Jordan              |   13 |    6 |   4 |
|   60 | Kazakhstan          |   14 |    2 |   6 |
|   61 | Kenya               |   23 |   16 |   9 |
|   62 | Kuwait              | 1493 | 1679 | 212 |
|   63 | Kyrgyzstan          |   61 |    2 |   2 |
|   64 | Lao PDR             |    3 |    1 |   0 |
|   65 | Lebanon             |   11 |    2 |   4 |
|   66 | Libya               |    9 |    2 |   2 |
|   67 | Madagascar          |    6 |    0 |   0 |
|   68 | Malawi              |    3 |    1 |   2 |
|   69 | Malaysia            |  473 |  356 | 213 |
|   70 | Maldives            |   21 |   20 |  38 |
|   71 | Mali                |    1 |    3 |   1 |
|   72 | Malta               |    1 |    2 |   5 |
|   73 | Mauritius           |    5 |    5 |   0 |
|   74 | Mexico              |    3 |    3 |   1 |
|   75 | Morocco             |    0 |    0 |   1 |
|   76 | Mozambique          |    9 |    3 |   6 |
|   77 | Myanmar             |    8 |    4 |  48 |
|   78 | Namibia             |    0 |    0 |   0 |
|   79 | Nepal               |   18 |   10 |  10 |

|   80 | Netherlands           |   18 |    8 |   11 |
|------|-----------------------|------|------|------|
|   81 | New Zealand           |   14 |   18 |   48 |
|   82 | Niger                 |    1 |    0 |    0 |
|   83 | Nigeria               |   32 |   57 |   22 |
|   84 | Norway                |    1 |    8 |    0 |
|   85 | Oman                  |  357 |  213 |  243 |
|   86 | Pakistan              |  143 |   10 |    3 |
|   87 | Panama                |    1 |    0 |    0 |
|   88 | Papua New Guinea      |    1 |    0 |    2 |
|   89 | Peru                  |    2 |    0 |    0 |
|   90 | Philippines           |   51 |   19 |   17 |
|   91 | Poland                |   13 |   14 |   15 |
|   92 | Portugal              |   12 |    9 |   17 |
|   93 | Qatar                 | 2382 | 1412 |  360 |
|   94 | Republic of Korea     |    6 |    8 |    6 |
|   95 | Romania               |   14 |    6 |    5 |
|   96 | Russian Federation    |   45 |   17 |    6 |
|   97 | Rwanda                |    1 |    1 |    4 |
|   98 | Sao Tome and Principe |    0 |    0 |    2 |
|   99 | Saudi Arabia          | 3257 | 1367 | 1064 |
|  100 | Senegal               |    3 |    4 |    4 |
|  101 | Serbia                |    3 |    3 |    2 |
|  102 | Seychelles            |    2 |    6 |    7 |
|  103 | Sierra Leone          |    0 |    1 |    6 |
|  104 | Singapore             |   84 |   63 |   77 |
|  105 | Slovakia              |    0 |    0 |    1 |
|  106 | Slovenia              |    2 |    0 |    0 |
|  107 | South Africa          |   20 |   11 |    3 |
|  108 | South Sudan           |    0 |    1 |    2 |
|  109 | Spain                 |   11 |    7 |   13 |
|  110 | Sri Lanka             |   34 |   20 |    9 |
|  111 | Sudan                 |   10 |    8 |    2 |
|  112 | Suriname              |    2 |    1 |    0 |
|  113 | Sweden                |   15 |    3 |    9 |
|  114 | Switzerland           |    4 |    4 |    3 |
|  115 | Syria                 |    2 |    0 |    0 |
|  116 | Taiwan                |    5 |    4 |    2 |
|  117 | Tajikistan            |    4 |    0 |    1 |
|  118 | Tanzania              |   10 |   11 |   10 |
|  119 | Thailand - Bangkok    |   23 |   14 |   42 |
|  120 | The Republic of Congo |    0 |    2 |    2 |

| 121   | Togo - Lome          |     0 |    2 |    0 |
|-------|----------------------|-------|------|------|
| 122   | Trinidad And Tobago  |     0 |    1 |    0 |
| 123   | Tunisia              |     1 |    0 |    1 |
| 124   | Turkey               |     4 |    8 |    6 |
| 125   | Turkmenistan         |     0 |    2 |    0 |
| 126   | USA                  |   382 |  258 |  211 |
| 127   | Uganda               |     8 |   10 |    8 |
| 128   | Ukraine              |    32 |   17 |   91 |
| 129   | United Arab Emirates |  1479 |  594 |  588 |
| 130   | United Kingdom       |   132 |   50 |   96 |
| 131   | Uzbekistan           |     3 |    0 |    2 |
| 132   | Venezuela            |     1 |    1 |    1 |
| 133   | Vietnam              |    11 |    2 |    3 |
| 134   | Yemen                |     6 |    5 |    7 |
| 135   | Zambia               |     7 |    5 |    1 |
| 136   | Zimbabwe             |     2 |    0 |    0 |
|       | Total                | 11828 | 6959 | 4163 |

*****