Lok Sabha Question No. 1774 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-12-09
Subject: Indians Trapped/Stranded Abroad
Ministry: OVERSEAS INDIAN AFFAIRS
Asked by: P.R. SUNDARAM, NANABHAU FALGUNRAO PATOLE

## Government of India Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO\_ 1774

To be answered on gth December, 2015

Indians TrappedIStranded Abroad

1774. SHRI PR. SUNDARAM:

## SHRI NANA PATOLE:

Will the Minister 0f OVERSEAS INDIAN AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is aware of several cases wherein hundreds of migrant Indian workers are trappedl stranded in middle east countries due to extremely poor labour conditions;
- (b) if so, the number of cases that came to light during the last three and the current year; country-wise; years
- (c) whether the Government proposes to raise this matter in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC); and
- (d) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE FOR OVERSEAS INDIAN AFFAIRS

## GENERAL V.K. SINGH (RETD:)

- (a) & (b): As per information made available to this Ministry by Indian Missions in 14 Middle East Countries, in December 2015, the information with respect to Indian workers trappedlstranded is given at Annexure:
- (c) & (d): Government of India has signed MoUs with 6 Gulf Countries, namely UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to provide, inter-alia that the host country will take measures for 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.

To ensure implementation of the MoUs, Joint Working Groups have been constituted which meet to find solutions to bilateral labour problems:

## ANNEXURE

## Information of "Indians Trappedl Stranded Abroad" as referred to in para (a) & (b) of reply to Question No. 1774 dated 09-12-2015.

| S No.   | Country                 | 2012                     | 2013                     | 2014                     | 2015                     |
|---------|-------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|
|         |                         | No. of Strandedl Trapped | No. of Stranded/ Trapped | No. of Stranded/ Trapped | No_ of Stranded/ Trapped |
| 1       | Libya                   | Nil                      | Nil                      | Nil                      | Nil                      |
| 2       | Iran                    | Nil                      | Nil                      | Nil                      | Nil                      |
| 3       | Oman                    | 2386                     | 1748                     | 1358                     | 413                      |
|         | Iraq                    | Nil                      | Nil                      | Nil                      | Nil                      |
| 5       | Israel                  | Nil                      | Nil                      | Nil                      | Nil                      |
| 6       | Yemen                   | Nil                      | Nil                      | Nil                      | Nil                      |
|         | Kingdom of Saudi Arabia | 2781 **                  | 2608 **                  | 3548 **                  | 2472 **                  |
|         | UAE                     | 1783                     | 1220                     | 2094                     | 1444                     |
| 9       | Bahrain                 | 27                       | 17                       | 44                       | 22                       |
| 10      | Kuwait                  | 3593                     | 2887                     | 3033                     | 3236                     |
| 11      | Syria                   | Nil                      | Nil                      | Nil                      | Nil                      |
| 12      | Jordan                  | Nil                      | Nil                      | Nil                      | Nil                      |
| 13      | Egypt                   | Nil                      | Nil                      | Nil                      | Nil                      |
| 14      | Qatar                   | Nil                      | Nil                      | Nil                      | Nil                      |