Lok Sabha Question No. 2993 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-08-09
Subject: Fake Recruitment Agents
Ministry: EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: Dr. Byreddy Shabari, Shri G M Harish Balayogi, Shri Anto Antony, Shri Rahul Kaswan

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO- 2993

ANSWERED ON- 09/08/2024

FAKE RECRUITMENT AGENTS

†2993. SHRI RAHUL KASWAN

DR. BYREDDY SHABARI

SHRI ANTO ANTONY

SHRI G M HARISH BALAYOGI

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

(a) whether the Government has undertaken any study/research/inquiry into the issue of fake/fraudulent   immigration   agencies/agents   offering employment   in   foreign   countries   to   Indian   citizens,   if   so,   the   details regarding the total number of such agencies identified during the last three years, State-wise including Rajasthan, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh;

(b)   whether   the   Government   has   undertaken   any   action   against   such companies/agencies, legal or otherwise, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;

(c) the details regarding the number of such agencies/companies that have been shut down by the Government during the last four years, State-wise including said States;

(d) whether the Government intends to introduce any scheme/initiative for regulating and reducing the number of such agencies/companies, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;

(e) the steps taken by the embassy and consulates abroad to support our nationals seeking employment in foreign countries; and

(f)   the   support   provided   to   families   of   such   trafficked   youth   and   the assistance/rehabilitation programmes available to the youth brought back to the country?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS (SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH)

(a  to c) Some incidences have come to attention of the Government where Indian nationals were lured by fraudulent/fake agencies by offering fake job abroad. Complaints about fraudulent activities of illegal recruitment agents in   the   country   are   also   filed   by   aggrieved   emigrant   or   his/her   family members/friends/relatives, who have been cheated by such agents. Based on such information,  action is initiated by the Ministry and concerned Indian Missions/Posts abroad. The complaint is referred to the respective State

police for investigation and prosecution. The status of follow up action in this regard for the last three years and the current year is at Annexure-A.

Ministry has also issued Standard Operating Procedure to be followed by State Governments on receipt of complaints against such fake agencies. The   Ministry   has   also   been   coordinating   with   concerned   stakeholders including State governments and law enforcement agencies to disseminate information about the benefits of safe and legal channels and overseas employment opportunities.

Information about illegal agents/agencies is updated on regular basis on the e-Migrate Portal. Till June 2024, a total of 3,042 illegal agents have been notified on the portal.  Details of State-wise numbers of such illegal agents/agencies including from Rajasthan, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh, are enclosed as Annexure-B.

(d) The process of emigration of Indian workers having Emigration Clearance Required (ECR) category passports and proceeding for overseas employment to any of the 18 ECR countries, is regulated under the Emigration Act, 1983, which is administered by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) through Overseas   Employment   (OE)   and   Protector   General   of   Emigrants   (PGE) Division. As per this Act, no persons/agencies can function as recruiting agent/agency without obtaining a valid registration certificate issued by the registering authority.

Visual and print media campaigns are launched from time to time, encouraging emigrants to utilize the services of the registered Recruitment Agents and not to go through illegal/fake agents. These messages are also being uploaded and disseminated through social media profile of the Ministry and Missions/Post abroad and other means for greater outreach. States are also encouraged to initiate awareness campaigns disseminating activities in their respective jurisdictions.

(e & f)  To ease the emigration process and facilitate the employment of Indian   workers   abroad,   the   Ministry   has   signed   Migration   and   Mobility Partnership   Agreements   (MMPAs)   with   the   governments   of   various destination   countries.   These   MMPAs are   aimed   at   harnessing   India's demographic dividend and fostering mobility for our students, academics, business people, and professionals and have been signed with France (2018), the   UK   (2021),   Germany   (2022),   Italy,   Australia   and   Austria   (2023)   and Denmark (2024).

Our Missions/Posts abroad remain vigilant and actively monitor, in case any Indian national in any foreign country needs any assistance or is in distress or have any grievance. Our nationals abroad can reach out to the Mission/Post through walk-in interview, email, multilingual 24x7 emergency numbers, grievance redressal portal like MADAD, CPGAMS, and eMigrate, and social media etc. On receipt of any such complaint, our Missions/Posts

abroad take prompt action and appropriate measures to assist and provide relief to the aggrieved Indian national. Missions/Posts also take up these issues suitably with the local Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other concerned Government   agencies of   the   host   countries like Immigration,   Labour Department, Home Affairs, Defence and Border Affairs and law enforcement agencies. Government of India also takes up such issues at political level with the host Governments from time to time.  Pravasi Bharatiya Sahayata Kendras (PBSK) have been set up in New Delhi and at Dubai (UAE), Riyadh & Jeddah (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) and Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) to provide assistance, guidance, and counselling to Indian workers in distress. Indian 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   the   ICWF   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.  Since year 2014 until March 2024, around Rs.656/- crores has been utilized by Indian Missions/Posts abroad   under   the   Fund   and   around   3,50,194   Indians   were   extended assistance.

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## ANNEXURE-A

| Sl No.   | State/UT          |   Number | Number    | Number           | ATR Submitted by State Police   |   ATR Submitted by State Police | ATR Submitted by State Police   | ATR Submitted by State Police   | Number of Cases in which request for issue of prosecution sanction after investigation   | Number of Cases in which request for issue of prosecution sanction after investigation   | Number of Cases in which request for issue of prosecution sanction after investigation   | Number of Cases in which request for issue of prosecution sanction after investigation   | Number of Prosecution Sanction issued   | Number of Prosecution Sanction issued   | Number of Prosecution Sanction issued   | Number of Prosecution Sanction issued   |
|----------|-------------------|----------|-----------|------------------|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
| Sl No.   | State/UT          |     2021 | 2022 2023 | 2024 (till June) | 2021                            |                            2022 | 2023                            | 2024 (till June)                | 202 1                                                                                    | 202 2                                                                                    | 202 3                                                                                    | 2024 (till June)                                                                         | 2021                                    | 202 2                                   | 202 3                                   | 2024 (till June)                        |
| 1.       | Andhra Pradesh    |     1111 | 688 445   | 261              | 0                               |                               0 | 5*                              | -                               | 0                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        | 1                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        | 0                                       | 0                                       | 1                                       | 0                                       |
| 2.       | Arunachal Pradesh |        0 | 0 0       | 0                | 0                               |                               0 | 0                               | 0                               | 0                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        | 0                                       | 0                                       | 0                                       | 0                                       |
| 3.       | Assam             |        0 | 2 2       | 0                | 0                               |                               1 | 0                               | 0                               | 0                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        | 0                                       |                                         |                                         | 0                                       |
| 4.       | Bihar             |       10 | 2 6       | 5                | 4 (FIR registered               |                               0 | 1(FIR registere d)              | 1(FIR registered)               | 0                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        | 0                                       | 0                                       | 0                                       | 0                                       |
| 5.       | Chandigarh        |        0 | 0 3       | 0                | 0                               |                               0 | 0                               | 0                               | 0                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        | 0                                       | 0                                       | 0                                       | 0                                       |
| 6.       | Chhattisgarh      |        1 | 0 0       | 1                | 0                               |                               0 | 0                               | 0                               | 0                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        | 0                                       | 0                                       | 0                                       | 0                                       |
| 7.       | Delhi             |        1 | 1 4       | 8                | 0                               |                               0 | 0                               | 0                               | 0                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        | 11                                                                                       | 0                                       | 0                                       | 0                                       | 11                                      |
| 8.       | Goa               |        3 | 14 5      | 1                | 0                               |                               5 | 0                               | 1                               | 0                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        |                                         |                                         |                                         |                                         |
| 9.       | Gujarat           |        2 | 2 2       | 2                | 0                               |                               0 | 1                               | 2                               | 0                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        | 0                                       | 0                                       | 0                                       | 0                                       |

|   10. | Haryana          | 0   | 1      |   4 | 0                     | 0                     | 0                     | 0                    |   0 |   0 | 0   |   0 |   1 | 0 0   |   0 |   1 |
|-------|------------------|-----|--------|-----|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|----------------------|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-------|-----|-----|
|    11 | Himachal Pradesh | 0   | 3 4    |   0 | 0                     | 0                     | 1                     | 0                    |   0 |   0 | 0   |   0 |   0 | 0     |   0 |   0 |
|    12 | Jammu & Kashmir  | 0   | 1 1    |   0 | 0                     | 0                     | 0                     | 0                    |   0 |   0 | 1   |   0 |   0 | 0     |   1 |   0 |
|    13 | Jharkhand        | 0   | 0 0    |   0 | 0                     | 0                     | 0                     | 0                    |   0 |   0 | 0   |   0 |   0 | 0     |   0 |   0 |
|    14 | Karnataka        | 6   | 21 32  |  13 | 0                     | 4                     | 6                     | 0                    |   0 |   1 | 3   |   0 |   0 | 1     |   3 |   0 |
|    15 | Kerala*          | 65  | 69 110 |  95 | 54 (FIRs registered ) | 47 (FIRs registe red) | 87 (FIRs registere d) | 66 (FIRs registered) |   2 |   7 | 7   |   1 |   2 | 7     |   7 |   1 |
|    16 | Madhya Pradesh   | 5   | 0 0    |   0 | 0                     | 0                     | 0                     | 0                    |   0 |   0 | 0   |   0 |   0 | 0     |   0 |   0 |
|    17 | Maharashtra      | 22  | 8 6    |   2 | 0                     | 2                     | 1                     | 2                    |   0 |   0 | 0   |   1 |   0 | 0     |   0 |   1 |
|    18 | Manipur          | 0   | 0 0    |   0 | 0                     | 0                     | 0                     | 0                    |   0 |   0 | 0   |   0 |   0 | 0     |   0 |   0 |
|    19 | Meghalaya        | 0   | 0 0    |   0 | 0                     | 0                     | 0                     | 0                    |   0 |   0 | 0   |   0 |   0 | 0     |   0 |   0 |
|    20 | Mizoram          | 0   | 0 2    |   0 | 0                     | 0                     | 1                     | 0                    |   0 |   0 | 0   |   0 |   0 | 0     |   0 |   0 |
|    21 | Nagaland         | 0   | 0 0    |   0 | 0                     | 0                     | 0                     | 0                    |   0 |   0 | 0   |   0 |   0 | 0     |   0 |   0 |
|    22 | Odisha           |     | 0 0    |   1 |                       | 0                     | 0                     | 0                    |   0 |   0 |     |   0 |   0 | 0 0   |   0 |   0 |

7

| 23.   | Punjab        | 2     | 23          | 56   | 2                    | 0      |   0 |   0 0 | 0   |   0 | 0   |   0 | 0   | 0   |   0 |   0 |
|-------|---------------|-------|-------------|------|----------------------|--------|-----|-------|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|
| 24.   | Rajasthan     | 91    | 64          | 35   | 45 24 FIR registered | (one 2 |   0 |     0 | 4 0 |   2 | 0   |   4 | 0   |     |   2 |   0 |
| 25.   | Sikkim        | 0     | 0 0         |      | 0 0                  | 0      |   0 |     0 | 0   |   0 | 0   |   0 | 0   | 0   |   0 |   0 |
| 26.   | Tamil Nadu    | 85    | 254 152     | 86   | 0                    | 6      |   7 |     0 | 1 0 |   1 |     |   0 | 1   | 0   |   1 |   0 |
| 27.   | Telangana     | 74    | 63 132      | 40   | -                    | 19     |  35 |     2 | 0   |   0 | 0   |   0 | 0   | 0   |   0 |   0 |
| 28.   | Tripura       | 0     | 0 0         | 0    | 0                    | 0      |   0 |     0 | 0   |   0 | 0   |   0 | 0 0 |     |   0 |   0 |
| 29.   | Uttarakhand   | 0     | 0 0         | 5    | 0                    | 0      |   0 |     0 | 0   |   0 | 0   |   0 | 0 0 |     |   0 |   0 |
| 30.   | Uttar Pradesh | 1     | 1 0         | 0    | 0                    | 0      |   0 |     0 | 0   |   2 | 0   |   0 | 0 2 |     |   0 |   0 |
| 31.   | West Bengal   | 74    | 10 5        | 8    | 0                    | 1      |   2 |     0 | 0   |   1 | 0   |   0 | 0 1 |     |   0 |   0 |
|       | Total         | 1,553 | 1,227 1,006 | 575  | 82                   | 87     | 147 |    74 | 7   |  11 | 15  |  14 | 7   | 11  |  15 |  14 |

* One letter received from Andhra Pradesh Police informing that five emigrants have refused to file complaint against the agent.

## ANNEXURE - B

## State-wise number of illegal agents as notified on eMigrate Portal (till June 2024)

| State             |   Number of illegal agents notified |
|-------------------|-------------------------------------|
| Delhi             |                                 299 |
| Punjab            |                                 209 |
| Tamil Nadu        |                                 372 |
| Maharashtra       |                                 337 |
| Uttar Pradesh     |                                 418 |
| Andhra Pradesh    |                                 498 |
| Kerala            |                                 206 |
| Telangana         |                                 123 |
| Haryana           |                                  36 |
| Gujarat           |                                  59 |
| West Bengal       |                                 130 |
| Karnataka         |                                  81 |
| Rajasthan         |                                  62 |
| Bihar             |                                  57 |
| Madhya Pradesh    |                                  16 |
| Puducherry        |                                   6 |
| Uttarakhand       |                                  13 |
| Goa               |                                  13 |
| Himachal Pradesh  |                                  10 |
| Jammu and Kashmir |                                  11 |
| Chandigarh        |                                  34 |
| Odisha            |                                  11 |
| Chattishgarh      |                                   4 |
| Assam             |                                  23 |
| Jharkhand         |                                   5 |
| Tripura           |                                   7 |
| Nagaland          |                                   1 |
| Manipur           |                                   1 |
| Total             |                                3042 |

*****