Lok Sabha Question No. 2905 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-03-17
Subject: Indian Migrant Workers
Ministry: EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: Rajan Baburao  Vichare, S. Venkatesan

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

ANSWERED ON- 17/03/2023

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO-2905

## INDIAN MIGRANT WORKERS

2905.  SHRI RAJAN VICHARE SHRI S. VENKATESAN

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

(a) the number of Indian migrant workers who returned from foreign countries between June 2020 to till date, country-wise;

(b) the number of people who left India to work in Gulf countries during the said period, countrywise;

(c) whether the Government has conducted an assessment of job losses suffered by Indians abroad during the COVID-19 crisis; and

(d) if so, the details thereof and if not, whether the Government has any plans to conduct such an exercise?

## ANSWER

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

## (SHRI V. MURALEEDHARAN)

(a to d)  Comprehensive figures for return of Indian migrant workers from all foreign countries are not available. The nature of movement of workers, especially to countries that fall under the Emigration Clearance Not Required (ECNR) category, is such that accurate tracking is very difficult.

2. Insofar as Indians who left to work in Gulf countries are concerned, the figures as available from e-Migrate portal for the period 1 June 2020 to 8 March 2023 are as follows:

| Country              |   2020 (01 June - 31 December) |   2021 |   2022 |   2023 (till 08 March) |
|----------------------|--------------------------------|--------|--------|------------------------|
| Saudi Arabia         |                           3606 |  32845 | 178630 |                  44091 |
| United Arab Emirates |                           2723 |  10844 |  33233 |                   9155 |
| Qatar                |                           1917 |  49579 |  30871 |                   6232 |
| Oman                 |                           1888 |  19452 |  31994 |                   4791 |
| Bahrain              |                           1776 |   6382 |  10232 |                   1690 |
| Kuwait               |                              2 |  10158 |  71432 |                   9310 |

3. During the pandemic, it was the Government's priority to ensure that its impact on Indian workers in terms of loss of employment was mitigated. To that end, the Ministry and all our Missions in the Gulf were continuously engaged with the Government of the Gulf nations to maintain the workers, ensure their welfare and facilitate financial payments due to them.

4. To facilitate the employment of Indian workers abroad, and to safeguard their interests, the Ministry   has   entered   into   Memorandum   of   Understandings   (MoUs)   and   Labour   Manpower Agreements   (LMAs)   with   the   governments   of   Gulf   cooperation   Council   (GCC)   countries (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates). Further, to safeguard the specific interest of domestic workers in GCC Countries, agreements on Labour Cooperation for Domestic Sector have been signed with Saudi Arabia, UAE and Kuwait.

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