Lok Sabha Question No. 265 (STARRED), answered on 2024-12-13
Subject: Monitoring of Agencies Recruiting Indians Abroad
Ministry: EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: Shri Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy, Shri G M Harish Balayogi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA

## STARRED Q.NO. 265

## ANSWERED ON 13.12.2024

## MONITORING OF AGENCIES RECRUITING INDIANS ABROAD

*265. SHRI MAGUNTA SREENIVASULU REDDY

## SHRI G M HARISH BALAYOGI

Will the Minister of External Affairs be pleased to state:

- (a)   the   total   number   of   manpower   consultancy/recruitment   agencies presently registered and functioning across the country, State-wise;
- (b) the steps/initiatives undertaken by the Government during the last five years   to   regulate   manpower   consultancy/recruitment   agencies   in   the country, State/UT-wise especially those in Andhra Pradesh;

(c)   whether   the   Government   monitors/regulates   the   various   employment packages   offered   by   these   agencies   for   recruitment   of   Indian   people especially for blue-collar jobs abroad, if so, details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;

(d)   whether   certain   Emigration   Check   Required   (ECR)   countries   provide explicit guidelines requiring employers to cover employees' visa sponsorship,

medical insurance, inbound flight tickets and similar benefits, if  so, the details thereof; and (e) the measures taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to prevent manpower consultancy or recruitment agencies from exploiting the above mentioned   employee   benefits   and   profiting   from   both   employers   and employees?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER FOR EXTERNAL AFFAIRS (DR. SUBRAMANYAM JAISHANKAR)

(a) to (e)  A Statement is laid on the table of the House.

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Statement referred to in reply to parts (a) to (e) in respect of Lok Sabha Starred Question No. *265 for reply on 13.12.2024 regarding 'Monitoring Of Agencies Recruiting Indians Abroad.'

(a   to   e) As per the available data on eMigrate portal, there are 2,164 registered Recruiting Agents (RAs) across the country till date. The statewise details are at Annexure.

The Ministry takes appropriate measures and issues guidelines from time to time to regulate the registered RAs in the country including those in Andhra Pradesh. As per Section 10 of the Emigration Act, 1983, no person/agency can function as Recruiting Agent (RA) without a valid Registration Certificate (RC) issued by the Registering Authority i.e. Protector General of Emigrants (PGE).   The   process   of   registration   of   RA   is   done   through   a   web-based application i.e. eMigrate portal which brings all the stakeholders, including the   RAs,   Foreign   Employers   (FEs)   and   the   prospective   emigrants   on   a common platform.  Whenever,   any   complaint   against   a   registered   RA   is received, a Show Cause Notice (SCN) is issued to the concerned RA, under Section   14   of   the   Emigration   Act,   1983,   directing   them   to   resolve   the complaint. In case, the RA fails to respond to the SCN or reply is not found to be satisfactory, their RC can be cancelled or suspended for 30 days as per Section 14(2) of the Emigration Act, 1983. The order of suspension can be revoked by the Competent Authority only after consultation with all the

stakeholders and after ensuring that the complaint has been fully resolved to the   satisfaction   of   the   complainant. Ministry   also   publishes   a   list   of unregistered RAs on the eMigrate portal. Advisories/alerts on fraudulent/illegal recruiting agencies are also hosted on this portal. Ministry also takes prompt action against illegal migration through unregistered/illegal RAs with the support of concerned State Governments.

Certain Emigration Check Required (ECR) countries such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar,   Oman,   Malaysia,   United   Arab   Emirates,   Kuwait,   Jordan,   Bahrain, Lebanon,   and   Indonesia   issue   guidelines   and   relevant   information   in accordance with their local labour laws to cover visa sponsorship, medical insurance, flight tickets and similar other benefits by the employer of these countries   to   the   foreign   employees.   This   is   ordinarily   governed   by   the contract between the employer and the employee.

Government   accords   utmost   priority   to   the  welfare  of   the   prospective emigrants. As per the Emigration Rules 1983 (as amended from time to time), no RA shall collect from the prospective emigrant the service charges more than the prescribed amount, in respect of services rendered by it to that emigrant and the RA shall issue a receipt to the emigrant for the amount collected by it in this regard. To prevent exploitation of Indian workers by Foreign Employers (FEs), the Government has fixed the Minimum Referral Wages (MRW) to regulate the wages of Indian migrant workers seeking

employment in the ECR countries. Ministry enforces the MRW through the offices of Protector of Emigrants (POEs). POEs while granting the mandatory Emigration Clearance (EC), in accordance with Section 22 of the Emigration Act 1983, read with Rule 15 of Emigration Rules, checks wage offered by the Foreign Employers (FEs) and deny the EC if the wage so offered is below the prescribed MRW.

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## ANNEXURE

## State-wise details of registered Recruiting Agents (RAs) on eMigrate portal till 08 December 2024.

| Sr. No.   | State            | No. of active RAs   |
|-----------|------------------|---------------------|
| 1.        | ANDHRA PRADESH   | 35                  |
| 2.        | ASSAM            | 2                   |
| 3.        | BIHAR            | 26                  |
| 4.        | CHHATTISGARH     | 1                   |
| 5.        | CHANDIGARH       | 29                  |
| 6.        | DELHI            | 327                 |
| 7.        | GOA              | 12                  |
| 8.        | GUJARAT          | 19                  |
| 9.        | HIMACHAL PRADESH | 1                   |
| 10.       | HARYANA          | 26                  |
| 11.       | JHARKHAND        | 7                   |
| 12.       | JAMMU & KASHMIR  | 5                   |
| 13.       | KARNATAKA        | 70                  |
| 14.       | KERALA           | 308                 |
| 15.       | MAHARASHTRA      | 637                 |
| 16.       | MADHYA PRADESH   | 1                   |
| 17.       | MIZORAM          | 2                   |
| 18.       | ODISHA           | 6                   |
| 19.       | PUNJAB           | 155                 |
| 20.       | PUDUCHERRY       | 1                   |
| 21.       | RAJASTHAN        | 76                  |
| 22.       | TELANGANA        | 104                 |
| 23.       | TAMIL NADU       | 180                 |
| 24.       | UTTARAKHAND      | 7                   |
| 25.       | UTTAR PRADESH    | 90                  |
| 26.       | WEST BENGAL      | 37                  |
|           | TOTAL            | 2,164               |

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