Lok Sabha Question No. 47 (STARRED), answered on 2015-12-02
Subject: Database of Indians Abroad
Ministry: OVERSEAS INDIAN AFFAIRS
Asked by: CHANDRAKANT RAGHUNATH PATIL, MAHEISH GIRRI

47 . SHRI CR PATIL:

## SHRI MAHEISH GIRRI:

Will the Minister of OVERSEAS INDIAN AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether any database of  Indians including workers, students , etc. working in foreign countries is maintained and if the details thereof;
- (b) whether the Government monitors the compliance of labour laws in letter and spirit in consultation with these countries;
- (c) if so, the details in this regard along with the complaints received by the Government from various countries regarding violation of labour laws; and
- (d) the steps takenlproposed to be taken to provide assistance to such Indians in distress along with the role and achievement of Indian Council for Overseas Employment (ICOE) in this regard?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF OVERSEAS INDIAN AFFAIRS SMT.SUSHMA SWARAJ

- (a) to (d): A statement is placed on the Table of the House.

## Government of India Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 47

To be answered on December; 2015 2nd

## Database of Indians Abroad

STATEMENT REFERRED To IN REPLY To THE LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.*47 FOR 02.12.2015 REGARDING SDATABASE OF INDIANS ABROAD"

- (a): A database of Indians who require Emigration Check   prior to emigration to 18 ECR Countries for employment is available under the eMigrate system, since its operationalization. This database is appropriately accessible to the stakeholders concerned: The data on estimated country-wise population of Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) and Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) is at Annexure-I No database of students studying abroad is maintained:
- (b) & (c): As per reports received from Missions in twelve ECR countries in November, 2015, 7432 complaints on different aspects were received by them in 2015. Details are at the Annexure-II. Most of these complaint were addressed by the Indian Missions by taking them up with the concerned foreign authorities. Complaints pertaining to employment were taken up by the Indian Missions with the concerned foreign employerl Labour officials in that country:

Government of Indian has signed MoUs with 6 Gulf countries namely UAE; Qatar; Kuwait; Oman; Bahrain Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Malaysia to provide, inter-alia, that the host country will take measures protection and welfare of the workers in organized sector and the recruitment and terms of employment will be in conformity with the laws of both the countries: for

These MoUs are renewedl  signed afresh, from time to time during which process any modifications are duly considered for inclusion:

- (d): The Government of India has set up Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF) in the Indian Missions abroad to meet contingency expenditure incurred them for carrying out various welfare activities for overseas Indian citizens who are in distress. The objectives of the ICWF include:by
- Boarding and lodging for distressed Overseas Indians in need;
- Extending emergency medical care to the Overseas Indians
- in need;
- Providing air passage to stranded Overseas Indians in need;
- iv) Providing initial legal assistance to the Overseas Indians in deserving cases;
- V) Expenditure on incidentals and for India or Iocal cremationlburial in such cases where the sponsor is unable or as per the contract and the
- airlifting the mortal remains to of the deceased Overseas Indians unwilling to do so family is unable to meet the cost;
- vi) Providing the payment of penalties in respect of Indian nationals for illegal stay in the host country where prima facie the worker is not at fault;
- vii)
- Providing the payment of small fineslpenalties for the release of Indian nationals in jailldetention centre.

The Ministry has set up a 24x7 helpline 'Overseas Workers Resource Centre' (OWRC) in Gurgaon, Haryana which provides information and guidance on all matters and problems pertaining to overseas employment of Indian nationals. Indian Workers Resource

Centre (IWRC) set up in Dubai by Embassy of India, in UAE, provides guidance and counseling on all matters pertaining to overseas Indian workers in UAE: Shelter homes for Indians in distress have been set up in Malaysia, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. These shelter homes provide free boarding and lodging to distressed Indians pending their repatriation:

Government of India have also started 24x7 Helpline on 'Madad' for lodging the grievances of the emigrants, which are attended to on priority basis.

ICOE, renamed as India Centre for Migration (ICM) in 2013, was set-up in 2008. It is a research think tank of the Ministry and provides research and policy inputs to Ministry on various issues related to migration and overseas employment of Indian migrant workers:

*****

Annexure-l Annexure referred to in reply to part (a) of Lok Sabha Starred Question No. 47 for

## 02.12.2015 POPUATION (Estimated) of Overseas Indians: COUNTRY WISE

| No.   | Country/Overseas Territory             | Non-Resident Indians (NRIs)   | Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs)   | Overseas Indians   |
|-------|----------------------------------------|-------------------------------|-----------------------------------|--------------------|
|       | Afghanistan                            | 654                           | 3                                 | 657                |
| 2     | Albania                                | 68                            | 0                                 | 68                 |
| 3     | Algeria                                | 1500                          | 17                                | 1517               |
| 4     | Andorra                                | 140                           |                                   | 140                |
| 5     | Angola                                 |                               | 3000                              | 3000               |
| 6     | Anguilla                               | NA                            | NA                                | NA                 |
| 7     | Antigua & Barbuda                      | 100                           |                                   | 100                |
| 8     | Argentina                              | 1200                          | 59                                | 1259               |
| 9     | Armenia                                | 950                           |                                   | 950                |
| 10    | Aruba                                  |                               | 1000                              | 1000               |
| 11    | Australia                              | 251000                        | 235000                            | 486000             |
| 12    | Austria and Montenegro                 | 15500                         | 4500                              | 20000              |
| 13    | Azerbaijan                             | 550                           | 30                                | 580                |
| 14    | Bahamas                                | 500                           | 20                                | 520                |
| 15    | Bahrain                                | 350000                        | 2500                              | 352500             |
| 16    | Bangladesh                             | 10000                         | 5                                 | 10005              |
| 17    | Barbados                               | 100                           | 2100                              | 2200               |
| 18    | Belarus                                | 177                           | 34                                | 211                |
| 19    | Belgium                                | 10651                         | 8934                              | 19585              |
| 20    | Belize                                 | 200                           | 1300                              | 1500               |
| 21    | Benin                                  | 1563                          |                                   | 1563               |
| 22    | Bhutan                                 | 5000                          |                                   | 5000               |
| 23    | Bolivia                                | 200                           | 16                                | 216                |
| 24    | Bonaire & Smaller Islands (Netherlands |                               | 200                               | 200                |
| 25    | Bosnia & Herzegovina                   | 50                            | 15                                | 65                 |
| 26    | Botswana                               | 5000                          | 3000                              | 8000               |
| 27    | Brazil                                 | 800                           | 1200                              | 2000               |
| 28    | Brunei Darussalam                      | 10000                         | 80                                | 10080              |
| 29    | Bulgaria                               | 200                           | 40                                | 240                |
| 30    | Burkina Faso                           | 200                           | 5                                 | 205                |
| 31    | Burundi                                | 310                           | 20                                | 330                |
| 32    | Cambodia                               | 1500                          | 10                                | 1510               |
| 33    | Cameroon                               | 245                           |                                   | 245                |
| 34    | Canada                                 | 184320                        | 831865                            | 1016185            |

| 35    | Cape Verde Islands                          | 20    |        |     20 |
|-------|---------------------------------------------|-------|--------|--------|
| 36    | Cayman Islands (British Qverseas Territory) | 1000  | 30     |   1030 |
| 37    | Central African Republic                    | 10    |        |     10 |
| 38    | Chad                                        | 120   |        |    120 |
| 39    | Chile                                       | 800   | 1200   |   2000 |
| 40    | China                                       | 48000 | 285    |  48285 |
| 41    | China (Hong Kong)_                          | 22000 | 22000  |  44000 |
| 42    | China (Taiwan)                              | 2444  | 128    |   2572 |
| 43    | Colombia                                    | 200   | 43     |    243 |
| 44    | Comoros                                     |       | 250    |    250 |
| 45    | Congo (Dem. of) Rep.                        | 9000  | 25     |   9025 |
| 46    | Congo (Republic of)                         | 350   | 8      |    358 |
| 47    | Cook Island                                 | 5     | 1000   |   1005 |
| 48    | Costa Rica                                  | 73    | 34     |    107 |
| 49    | Cote d'Ivore (Ivory Coast)                  | 1000  | 10     |   1010 |
| 50    | Croatia                                     | 24    | 7      |     31 |
| 51    | Cuba                                        | 233   | 2      |    235 |
| 52    |                                             |       | 1500   |   1500 |
| 53    | Cyprus                                      | 4000  |        |   4000 |
| 54    | Czech Republic                              | 600   | 102    |    702 |
| 55    | Denmark                                     |       | 2562   |   8802 |
| 56    | Djibouti                                    | 350   |        |    350 |
| 57    | Dominica (Commonwealth of)                  | 30    | 50     |     80 |
| 58    | Dominican Republic                          | 200   | 9      |    209 |
| 59 60 | East Timor Ecuador                          | 70    |        |     70 |
| 61    | Egypt                                       | 43    | 21     |     64 |
|       |                                             | 3600  | 105    |   3705 |
| 62    | El Salavador                                |       | 25     |     25 |
| 63    | Equatorial Guinea                           |       | 100    |    100 |
| 64    | Eritrea                                     | 1300  |        |   1300 |
| 65    | Estonia                                     | 50    |        |     50 |
| 66    | Ethiopia                                    | 10000 | 15     |  10015 |
| 67    | Fiji                                        | 1400  | 313798 | 315198 |
| 68    | Finland                                     | 5000  |        |   5000 |
| 69    | France                                      | 18000 | 90000  | 108000 |

| 70      | France (Reunion Island)                   | 200        | 300000   | 300200     |
|---------|-------------------------------------------|------------|----------|------------|
| 71      | France (Guadeloupe, StMartinique,Mayotte) | 420        | 66800    | 67220      |
| 72      | Gabon                                     | 50         |          | 50         |
| 73      | Gambia                                    | 600        | 15       | 615        |
| 74      | Georgia                                   | 2000       |          | 2000       |
| 75      | Germany                                   | 43000      | 67000    | 110000     |
| 76      | Ghana                                     | 10000      |          | 10000      |
| 77      | Greece                                    | 12000      | 181      | 12181      |
| 78      | Grenada                                   | 400        | 3000     | 3400       |
| 79      | Guatemala                                 | 100        |          |            |
| 80      | Guinea (Republic of)                      |            | 11       | 111        |
| 81      | Guinea Bissau                             | 500        |          | 500        |
| 82      | Guyana                                    | 100 300    | 3 325000 | 103        |
| 83      | Haiti                                     | 580        | 1        | 325300 581 |
| 84      | Holy See (Vatican)                        |            |          |            |
| 85      | Honduras                                  | NA         | NA 25    | NA         |
| 86      | Hungary_                                  | 350        | 95       | 25 445     |
| 87      | Iceland                                   | 80         | 200      | 280        |
| 88      | Indonesia                                 | 10600      | 100000   | 110600     |
| 89      | Iran                                      |            |          |            |
| 90      | Iraq                                      | 3500       | 200      | 3700       |
| 91      | Ireland                                   | 15000      |          | 15000      |
| 92      | Israel                                    | 17000 8500 | 9000     | 26000      |
| 93      | Italy                                     |            | 80000    | 88500      |
| 94      |                                           | 162862     | 14400    | 177262     |
| 95      | Jamaica Japan                             | 3700       | 70000    | 73700      |
| 96      | Jordan                                    | 22230 9940 | 981      | 23211      |
| 97      |                                           |            | 60       | 10000      |
| 98      | Kazakhstan                                | 1500       | 25       | 1525       |
| 99      | Kenya                                     | 20000      | 50000    | 70000      |
|         | Kiribati                                  |            | 50       | 50         |
| 100 101 | Korea (DPR) Korea (Republic of)           | 6          |          |            |
| 102     | Kuwait                                    | 10500      | 41       | 10541      |
|         |                                           | 758615     | 1096     | 759711     |
| 103 104 | Kyrgyzstan Lao, PDR                       | 2000 242   | 27       | 2027       |
| 105     | Latvia                                    | 230        | 20       | 282 250    |
| 106     | Lebanon                                   | 10000      | 20       | 10020      |

|   107 | Lesotho (Kingdom of            | 500    | 1000    | 1500    |
|-------|--------------------------------|--------|---------|---------|
|   108 | Liberia                        | 3000   | 5       | 3005    |
|   109 | Libya                          | 3200   | 36      | 3236    |
|   110 | Liechtenstein (Principality of | 5      | 5       | 10      |
|   111 | Lithuania                      | 250    | 50      | 300     |
|   112 | Luxembourg                     | 525    | 500     | 1025    |
|   113 | Macedonia                      | 10     | 4       | 14      |
|   114 | Madagascar                     | 2500   | 17500   | 20000   |
|   115 | Malaysia                       | 150000 | 2000000 | 2150000 |
|   116 | Malawi                         | 2500   | 7500    | 10000   |
|   117 | Maldives                       | 22000  |         | 22000   |
|   118 | Mali                           | 200    |         | 200     |
|   119 | Malta                          | 300    | 6       | 306     |
|   120 | Marshall Islands (Republic 0f) | 14     |         | 15      |
|   121 | Mauritania                     | 200    |         | 200     |
|   122 | Mauritius                      | 10757  | 881137  | 891894  |
|   123 | Mexico                         | 1750   | 250     | 2000    |
|   124 | Micronesia                     | 1      |         |         |
|   125 | Moldova                        | 29     | 4       | 33      |
|   126 | Mongolia                       | 250    |         | 250     |
|   127 | Montserrat (UK)                | 30     | 50      | 80      |
|   128 | Morocco                        | 500    | 300     | 800     |
|   129 | Mozambique                     | 1500   | 20000   | 21500   |
|   130 | Myanmar                        | 5576   |         | 2005576 |
|   131 | Namibia                        | 157    | 18      | 175     |
|   132 | Nauru                          | 2      |         | 2       |
|   133 | Nepal                          | 600000 |         | 600000  |
|   134 | Netherlands                    | 20000  | 205000  | 225000  |
|   135 | Netherlands Antilles           |        | 2700    | 2700    |
|   136 | New Zealand                    | 45000  | 110000  | 155000  |
|   137 | Nicaragua                      |        | 25      | 25      |
|   138 | Niger                          | 75     |         | 75      |
|   139 | Nigeria                        | 25000  |         | 25000   |
|   140 | Norway                         |        | 6988    | 12924   |
|   141 | Oman                           | 707850 | 880     | 708730  |
|   142 | Pakistan                       |        |         | 0       |
|   143 | Palau (Republic of)            | 15     |         | 15      |
|   144 | Palestine                      | 75     | 10      | 85      |
|   145 | Panama                         | 2000   | 13000   | 15000   |

| 146     | Papua New Guinea             | 1400     | 100     | 1500      |
|---------|------------------------------|----------|---------|-----------|
| 147 148 | Paraguay Peru                | 450      | 10      | 460       |
| 149     | Philippines                  | 400      | 62      | 462       |
| 150     | Poland                       | 70000    | 1024    | 71024     |
| 151     | Portugal                     | 2000     | 350     | 2350      |
| 152     | Qatar                        | 5657     | 65000   | 70657     |
| 153     | Romania                      | 600000   | 677     | 600677    |
| 154     | Russian Federation           | 900      | 49      | 949       |
| 155     | Rwanda                       | 14000    | 1630    | 15630     |
| 156     | Samoa                        | 2500     | 15      | 2515      |
| 157     | San Marino                   | 40       | 30      | 70        |
| 158     | Sao Tome and Principe        | NA       | NA      | NA        |
|         | of) Rep:                     | NA       | NA      | 0         |
| 159     | Saudi Arabia                 | 2800000  | 13      | 2800013   |
| 160 161 | Senegal Sarbia               | 380      | 15      | 395       |
| 162     | Seychelles                   | 25       | 19      | 44        |
| 163     | Sierra Leone                 | 3977     | 1333    | 5310      |
| 164     | Singapore_                   | 90       | 50      | 140       |
| 165     | Slovak Repulic               | 350000   | 350000  | 700000    |
| 166     | Slovenia                     | 150      | 66      | 216       |
| 167     | Soloman Islands              | 81       | 50      | 131       |
| 168     | Somalia                      | 20       |         | 20        |
| 169     | South Africa                 | 100      | 500     | 600       |
| 170     | Spain                        | 50000    | 1500000 | 1550000   |
| 171     | Sri Lanka                    | 34974    | 20000   | 54974     |
| 172     | St Kitts and Nevis           | 14000    | 1600000 | 1614000   |
| 173     | St. Lucia                    | 150      | 2500    | 2650      |
| 174     |                              | 250      | 5000    | 5250      |
| 175     | (Netherlands)                |          | 5300    | 5300      |
|         | St. Vincent & the Grenadines | 50       | 3000    | 3050      |
| 176     | Sudan                        | 3500     | 100     | 3600      |
| 177     | South Sudan                  | 450      |         | 450       |
| 178     | Suriname                     | 150      | 153306  | 153456    |
| 179     | Swaziland                    |          | 1000    | 1000      |
| 180     | Sweden                       | 9234     | 9000    | 18234     |
| 181 182 | Switzerland                  | 12059    | 6515    | 18574     |
|         | Syria                        | 72       |         |           |
| 183     | Tajikistan                   |          |         | 72        |
| 184     | Tanzania                     | 500 7100 | 10      | 510 53100 |
| 185     | Thailand                     |          | 46000   |           |
|         |                              | 20000    | 150000  | 170000    |

| 186   | Togo                        | 500      | 10       |      510 |
|-------|-----------------------------|----------|----------|----------|
| 187   | Tonga                       | 20       | 4        |       24 |
| 188   | Trinidad & Tobago           | 1500     | 555000   |   556500 |
| 189   | Tunisia                     | 120      | 5        |      125 |
| 190   | Turkey                      | 137      |          |      137 |
| 191   | Turkmenistan                | 645      |          |      645 |
| 192   | Turks & Caicos Islands (UK) | 900      | 15       |      915 |
| 193   | Tuvalu                      |          | 50       |       50 |
| 194   | Uganda                      | 25000    | 2000     |    27000 |
| 195   | Ukraine                     | 5000     | 600      |     5600 |
| 196   | UAE                         | 2000000  | 2349     |  2002349 |
| 197   | UK                          | 325000   | 1500000  |  1825000 |
| 198   | USA                         | 1272846  | 3183063  |  4455909 |
| 199   | Uruguay                     | 140      | 4        |      144 |
| 200   | Uzbekistan                  | 2625     | 30       |     2655 |
| 201   | Vanuatu                     | 75       | 25       |      100 |
| 202   | Venezuela                   | 75       | 40       |      115 |
| 203   | Vietnam                     | 2352     | 338      |     2690 |
| 204   | Yemen                       | 5000     | 10000    |    15000 |
| 205   | Zambia                      | 5000     | 7000     |    12000 |
| 206   | Zimbabwe                    | 500      | 8500     |     9000 |
|       | TOTAL                       | 11379746 | 17075280 | 28455026 |

As on January\_2015:

NRIs

11379746

PIOs

17075280

Overseas Indians

28455026

Annexure referred to in reply to parts (b) & (c) of Lok Sabha Starred Question No. 47 for 02.12.2015

Details provided by the Indian Missions in twelve ECR countries in November 2015 regarding complaints on different aspects registered by them in 2015

| No.   | Name of Mission         | Number of total complaints registered in 2015   |
|-------|-------------------------|-------------------------------------------------|
| 1     | Bahrain                 | 806                                             |
| 2     | Baghdad(lraq)           | Nil                                             |
| 3     |                         |                                                 |
| 4_    | Kuwait                  | 3236                                            |
| 5_    | Beirut(Lebanon_         | Nil                                             |
| 6.    | Tripoli(Libya)          | Nil                                             |
| 7     | Doha(Qatar))            | 378                                             |
| 8 .   | Muscat(Oman"            | 413                                             |
| 9     | Damascus(Syria)         | Nil                                             |
| 10    | Dubai & Abu Dhabi(UAE)  | 126                                             |
| 11    | Kingdom of Saudi Arabia | 2472                                            |
| 12_   | Yemen                   | Nil                                             |