Lok Sabha Question No. 1228 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-08
Subject: Labour Employment Agencies for Overseas
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Thiru Thanga Tamilselvan, Dr. Ganapathy Rajkumar P

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1228

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 08 TH  DECEMBER, 2025

## LABOUR EMPLOYMENT AGENCIES FOR OVERSEAS

## 1228.  DR. GANAPATHY RAJKUMAR P: SHRI THIRU THANGA TAMILSELVAN:

## Will the Minister of LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) the  details  of  the  private  sector  Labour  recruitment/employment agencies  that  have  been  approved  for  specific  purposes  i.e.  for overseas demand registered with the Government as on date;
- (b) whether any Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) has been issued to start and operate such recruitment/employment agencies in the country for overseas recruitment;
- (c)
- if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether the Government is aware of the fact that many overseas recruitment agencies have been misleading/cheating the unemployed  persons/employment  seekers  by  giving  them  false assurances of decent job in good companies with high salaries etc. in  Gulf  countries and charging more money as consulting fee from them;
- (e)
- if so, the details thereof;
- (f) whether the Government has received any complaints against such overseas recruitment agencies; and
- (g) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (SUSHRI SHOBHA KARANDLAJE)

- (a) to (g) As on 01.12.2025, a total of 2,436 recruiting agents have been registered  with  the  Ministry  of  External  Affairs  and  their  details  are available online (emigrate.gov.in).

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 governed by the Sections  11  and  12  of  Emigration  Act,  1983  and  Rules  7  to  10  of  the Emigration Rules, 1983. The whole process of registration is done online 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.  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. 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  of  External Affairs  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 of External Affairs also takes action against illegal migration through unregistered/illegal RAs with the support of concerned State Governments.

Government accords utmost priority to the welfare of the prospective  emigrants.  As  and  when  complaints  against  the  illegal agents/dubious  firms  luring  Indian  youth  in  false  recruitment  offers through various channels are received, such matters are referred to the State  police  for  investigation  and  prosecution  under  the  relevant  legal provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and other legislation in place including the ones enacted by the some State Governments. In the cyber  domain,  action  is  also  taken  against  illegal  recruiting  agents  in association with Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C), MHA and State  Police  authorities.  Requests  to  take  down  social  media  posts  of illegal  Recruiting  Agents from all over India have been regularly shared with I4C.

Ministry of External Affairs also issues advisories through eMigrate portal, social media handles and other modes of publicity about the perils of fake job rackets and ways to prevent the same. Till October 2025, a total of 3,505 unregistered agents in country have been notified on  the  eMigrate  portal.  The  awareness  campaign  on  safe  and  legal migration  through  eMigrate  portal  is  carried  out  by  the  Ministry  of External  Affairs  across  the  country  from  time  to  time  by  conducting workshops, trainings, information sessions, digital campaigns for media groups, police officials and law enforcement agencies, local administration,  aspiring  recruiting  agents,  entrepreneurs  and  general public.  During  these  sessions  awareness  on  emigration  regulations, schemes  beneficial  for  emigrants  like  Pravasi  Bharatiya  Bima  Yojana (PBBY),  Pre-Departure  Orientation  Training  (PDOT),  eMigrate  portal  and various advisories issued by Indian Embassies are brought to the notice of  all  stakeholders  including  job  seekers,  and  advise  them  to  verify  all antecedents of Recruiting Agents before accepting any kind of employment offer and not be enticed and entrapped in the fraudulent job offers.

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