Lok Sabha Question No. 3776 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-08-11
Subject: Indian Citizens in various Countries
Ministry: EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: V. Kalanidhi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

ANSWERED ON- 11/08/2023

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO-3776

## INDIAN CITIZENS IN VARIOUS COUNTRIES

## 3776. DR. KALANIDHI VEERASWAMY

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

- (a) the details of Indian citizens currently employed in various countries, Country-wise;
- (b) the top five countries with the highest number of Indian workers and their respective industries;
- (c) the details of individuals from Tamil Nadu who are currently employed abroad;
- (d) the steps taken by the government to support Tamil workers employed overseas; and
- (e) whether there are any specific initiatives to address the unique challenges faced by Tamil workers abroad and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS (SHRI V. MURALEEDHARAN)

- (a) As per the available data, there are around 13 million Indian nationals abroad who include labourers, professionals, and experts. The number of Indians living abroad country-wise (including employed), is enclosed as Annexure I.
- (b) Ministry maintains the data in respect of Indian workers, holding Emigration Check Required (ECR) passports, proceeding for overseas employment through e-Migrate portal to any of the 18 ECR countries. Top five countries with the highest number of Indian workers are tabulated below. Ministry does not maintain industry wise data of Indians abroad:
- (c) The details of Emigration Clearance issued to workers from Tamil Nadu country wise during 2022 is enclosed as Annexure-II.

|   Sr. No. | Name of the country   |   Approx. number of Indians in lakhs |
|-----------|-----------------------|--------------------------------------|
|         1 | United Arab Emirates  |                                35.54 |
|         2 | Saudi Arabia          |                                22.19 |
|         3 | Kuwait                |                                 8.29 |
|         4 | Qatar                 |                                 8    |
|         5 | Oman                  |                                 5.3  |

(d & e) Government of India has robust mechanism to monitor working conditions and grievance redressal of all Indian workers abroad, including from Tamil Nadu. Our Missions and Posts abroad remain vigilant all the time and actively monitor and follow each type of grievance received from the Indian nationals in foreign countries. The grievances are received and responded through various   channels   i.e.   Emergency   telephone   number,   Walk-ins,   e-Mails,   Social   Media,   24x7 Multilingual  Helpline and Open Houses etc. To enable the aggrieved Indian national to online register   his/her   grievances,   the   Government   has   established   Portals   such   as   MADAD   and   eMigrate. Pravasi Bharatiya Sahayata Kendras (PBSK) have been set up in Dubai (UAE), Riyadh, Jeddah  (Kingdom   of   Saudi  Arabia)   and   Kuala   Lumpur   (Malaysia)   to   provide   guidance   and counselling to Indian workers abroad on all matters. There are dedicated Labour Wing in all the Indian Missions in Gulf Countries.

Indian Missions/Posts regularly organize Open Houses and Consular Camps in remote areas to get the feedback from the Indian workers abroad and address their grievances, if any. On receipt of complaint from or on behalf of the emigrant, the same is taken up pro-actively with the concerned Foreign Employer (FE) and the work place of the aggrieved worker is also visited, if required. The complaints pertaining to employment issues are also taken up with the local Labour Department and other relevant authority of the host country for prompt redressal.

The Missions/Posts utilize the Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF) from time to time to provide financial and legal assistance to Indian national in distress abroad on a 'means tested basis'. Under ICWF, the major assistance includes Boarding and Lodging, Air Passage to India, Legal Assistance, Emergency Medical Care, Transportation of Mortal Remains to India, and Payment of Small Fines and Penalties.

- *****

## Annexure - I

| Data of Indians (including workers) residing abroad   | Data of Indians (including workers) residing abroad   |   Data of Indians (including workers) residing abroad |
|-------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------|
| Sl.No.                                                | Country                                               |                                                  2022 |
| 1.                                                    | Afghanistan                                           |                                                  3087 |
| 2.                                                    | Albania                                               |                                                    50 |
| 3.                                                    | Algeria                                               |                                                  5700 |
| 4.                                                    | Andorra                                               |                                                    50 |
| 5.                                                    | Angola                                                |                                                  2500 |
| 6.                                                    | Anguilla                                              |                                                    30 |
| 7.                                                    | Ankara                                                |                                                  1278 |
| 8.                                                    | Antigua &Barbuda                                      |                                                   220 |
| 9.                                                    | Argentina                                             |                                                   800 |
| 10.                                                   | Armenia                                               |                                                  1477 |
| 11.                                                   | Aruba                                                 |                                                   600 |
| 12.                                                   | Australia                                             |                                                241000 |
| 13.                                                   | Austria and Montenegro                                |                                                 13000 |
| 14.                                                   | Azerbaijan                                            |                                                   953 |
| 15.                                                   | Bahamas                                               |                                                   250 |
| 16.                                                   | Bahrain                                               |                                                323292 |
| 17.                                                   | Bangladesh                                            |                                                 10385 |
| 18.                                                   | Barbados                                              |                                                   600 |
| 19.                                                   | Belarus                                               |                                                   854 |
| 20.                                                   | Belgium                                               |                                                 12386 |
| 21.                                                   | Belize                                                |                                                   300 |
| 22.                                                   | Benin                                                 |                                                  1563 |
| 23.                                                   | Bhutan                                                |                                                 60000 |
| 24.                                                   | Bolivia                                               |                                                    50 |
| 25.                                                   | Bonaire &Smaller Islands                              |                                                    54 |
| 26.                                                   | Bosnia &Herzegovina                                   |                                                    20 |
| 27.                                                   | Botswana                                              |                                                  9000 |
| 28.                                                   | Brazil                                                |                                                  4729 |
| 29.                                                   | British Virgin Islands                                |                                                    50 |
| 30.                                                   | Brunei Darussalam                                     |                                                 11500 |
| 31.                                                   | Bulgaria                                              |                                                   250 |

|   32. | Burkina Faso                |    200 |
|-------|-----------------------------|--------|
|    33 | Burundi                     |    465 |
|    34 | Cambodia                    |   1500 |
|    35 | Cameroon                    |    800 |
|    36 | Canada                      | 178410 |
|    37 | Cape Verde Islands          |     20 |
|    38 | Cayman Islands              |   1500 |
|    39 | Central African Republic    |    100 |
|    40 | Chad                        |    120 |
|    41 | Chile                       |   1530 |
|    42 | China                       |  90137 |
|    43 | Colombia                    |    450 |
|    44 | Comoros                     |     30 |
|    45 | Congo (Dem. Rep. of)        |  10000 |
|    46 | Congo (Rep. Of )            |    590 |
|    47 | Cook Island                 |      5 |
|    48 | Costa Rica                  |   1011 |
|    49 | Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) |   1500 |
|    50 | Croatia                     |     82 |
|    51 | Cuba                        |    600 |
|    52 | Curacao                     |    700 |
|    53 | Cyprus                      |   7254 |
|    54 | Czech Republic              |   4590 |
|    55 | Denmark                     |  12685 |
|    56 | Djibouti                    |    500 |
|    57 | Dominica (Commonwealth of)  |     15 |
|    58 | Dominica Republic           |    100 |
|    59 | East Timor                  |    100 |
|    60 | Ecuador                     |    300 |
|    61 | Egypt                       |   3950 |
|    62 | El Salvador                 |     14 |
|    63 | Equatorial Guinea           |    250 |
|    64 | Eritrea                     |    300 |
|    65 | Estonia                     |    741 |
|    66 | Ethiopia                    |   5500 |

|   67. | Fiji                                        | 1400     |
|-------|---------------------------------------------|----------|
|    68 | Finland                                     | 5652     |
|    69 | France                                      | 19000    |
|    70 | France (Reunion Island)                     | 300      |
|    71 | France (Guadeloupe, Martinique, St. Martin) | 420      |
|    72 | Gabon                                       | 1100     |
|    73 | Gambia                                      | 700      |
|    74 | Georgia                                     | 3192     |
|    75 | Germany                                     | 1,42,585 |
|    76 | Ghana                                       | 10000    |
|    77 | Greece                                      | 12300    |
|    78 | Grenada                                     | 200      |
|    79 | Guatemala                                   | 50       |
|    80 | Guinea (Republic of)                        | 700      |
|    81 | Guinea Bissau                               | 100      |
|    82 | Guyana                                      | 600      |
|    83 | Haiti                                       | 580      |
|    84 | Honduras                                    | 15       |
|    85 | Hungary                                     | 1026     |
|    86 | Iceland                                     | 257      |
|    87 | Indonesia                                   | 8500     |
|    88 | Iran                                        | 4000     |
|    89 | Iraq                                        | 18000    |
|    90 | Ireland                                     | 15000    |
|    91 | Israel                                      | 12467    |
|    92 | Italy                                       | 157695   |
|    93 | Jamaica                                     | 5000     |
|    94 | Japan                                       | 37933    |
|    95 | Jordan                                      | 20569    |
|    96 | Kazakhstan                                  | 6785     |
|    97 | Kenya                                       | 20000    |
|    98 | Korea (DPR)                                 | 15       |
|    99 | Korea (Republic of)                         | 13236    |
|   100 | Kuwait                                      | 1028274  |

|   101. | Kyrgyzstan                       |   11200 |
|--------|----------------------------------|---------|
|    102 | Laos, PDR                        |     450 |
|    103 | Latvia                           |     760 |
|    104 | Lebanon                          |    8500 |
|    105 | Lesotho (Kingdom of )            |    1500 |
|    106 | Liberia                          |    1500 |
|    107 | Liechtenstein (Principality of ) |       5 |
|    108 | Lithuania                        |    1000 |
|    109 | Luxembourg                       |    2331 |
|    110 | Macedonia                        |       7 |
|    111 | Madagascar                       |    2500 |
|    112 | Malaysia                         |  227950 |
|    113 | Malawi                           |    2500 |
|    114 | Maldives                         |   25000 |
|    115 | Mali                             |     436 |
|    116 | Malta                            |    4850 |
|    117 | Marshall Islands (Republic of)   |      14 |
|    118 | Mauritania                       |     150 |
|    119 | Mauritius                        |   10500 |
|    120 | Mexico                           |    6000 |
|    121 | Micronesia                       |      35 |
|    122 | Moldova                          |     600 |
|    123 | Monaco                           |      30 |
|    124 | Mongolia                         |     150 |
|    125 | Montserrat                       |      40 |
|    126 | Morocco                          |     250 |
|    127 | Mozambique                       |    2300 |
|    128 | Myanmar                          |    9207 |
|    129 | Namibia                          |     200 |
|    130 | Nauru                            |      20 |
|    131 | Nepal                            |  600000 |
|    132 | Netherlands                      |   40000 |
|    133 | Netherlands Antilles             |    2581 |
|    134 | New Zealand                      |   80000 |
|    135 | Nicaragua                        |      39 |

|   136. | Niger                           |     150 |
|--------|---------------------------------|---------|
|    137 | Nigeria                         |   40000 |
|    138 | Niue                            |       9 |
|    139 | Norway                          |    7732 |
|    140 | Oman                            |  779351 |
|    141 | Palau (Republic of)             |      27 |
|    142 | Palestine (PLO)                 |      20 |
|    143 | Panama                          |    4000 |
|    144 | Papua New Guinea                |    2900 |
|    145 | Paraguay                        |     200 |
|    146 | Peru                            |     399 |
|    147 | Philippines                     |  105000 |
|    148 | Poland                          |   10162 |
|    149 | Portugal                        |   11393 |
|    150 | Qatar                           |  745775 |
|    151 | Romania                         |    1741 |
|    152 | Russian Federation              |   31354 |
|    153 | Rwanda                          |    2940 |
|    154 | Samoa                           |      21 |
|    155 | Sao Tome and Principe (Rep. of) |      50 |
|    156 | Saudi Arabia (Kingdom of)       | 2592166 |
|    157 | Senegal                         |     500 |
|    158 | Serbia                          |     303 |
|    159 | Seychelles                      |    5200 |
|    160 | Sierra Leone                    |     900 |
|    161 | Singapore                       |  350000 |
|    162 | Slovak Republic                 |     500 |
|    163 | Slovenia                        |     126 |
|    164 | Solomon Islands                 |      50 |
|    165 | Somalia                         |     100 |
|    166 | South Africa                    |   60000 |
|    167 | Spain                           |   49084 |
|    168 | Sri Lanka                       |   14000 |
|    169 | St. Kitts and Nevis             |     500 |
|    170 | St. Lucia                       |     550 |

| 171.   | St. Martin                  |     2171 |
|--------|-----------------------------|----------|
| 172.   | St. Vincent &the Grenadines |       50 |
| 173.   | Sudan                       |     1500 |
| 174.   | South Sudan                 |     1100 |
| 175.   | Suriname                    |      205 |
| 176.   | Swaziland                   |     1000 |
| 177.   | Sweden                      |    15349 |
| 178.   | Switzerland                 |    17403 |
| 179.   | Syria                       |       94 |
| 180.   | Tajikistan                  |     1500 |
| 181.   | Tanzania                    |    10000 |
| 182.   | Thailand                    |    20000 |
| 183.   | Togo                        |      500 |
| 184.   | Tonga                       |        6 |
| 185.   | Trinidad &Tobago            |     1800 |
| 186.   | Tunisia                     |      121 |
| 187.   | Turkey                      |     1609 |
| 188.   | Turkmenistan                |      240 |
| 189.   | Turks &Caicos Islands       |      200 |
| 190.   | Uganda                      |    23500 |
| 191.   | UAE                         |  3419875 |
| 192.   | UK                          |   351000 |
| 193.   | USA                         |  1280000 |
| 194.   | Uruguay                     |      570 |
| 195.   | Uzbekistan                  |      350 |
| 196.   | Vanuatu                     |       10 |
| 197.   | Venezuela                   |       50 |
| 198.   | Vietnam                     |     5000 |
| 199.   | Zambia                      |     6000 |
| 200.   | Zimbabwe                    |      500 |
|        | Total                       | 13601239 |

*****

Annexure-II

| Country wise Emigration Clearance (EC) data for the workers from the State of Tamil Nadu during 2022   |   Country wise Emigration Clearance (EC) data for the workers from the State of Tamil Nadu during 2022 |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Country                                                                                                |                                                                                                   2022 |
| UNITED ARAB EMIRATES                                                                                   |                                                                                                   2269 |
| SAUDI ARABIA                                                                                           |                                                                                                   6888 |
| MALAYSIA                                                                                               |                                                                                                   3953 |
| KUWAIT                                                                                                 |                                                                                                   5218 |
| OMAN                                                                                                   |                                                                                                   3001 |
| QATAR                                                                                                  |                                                                                                   1705 |
| BAHRAIN                                                                                                |                                                                                                    456 |
| JORDAN                                                                                                 |                                                                                                     50 |
| IRAQ                                                                                                   |                                                                                                     13 |
| LEBANON                                                                                                |                                                                                                      3 |
| Grand Total                                                                                            |                                                                                                  23556 |

*****