Lok Sabha Question No. 617 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-07-20
Subject: Inhuman Behaviour with Indians Abroad
Ministry: EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: RAHUL RAMESH SHEWALE, RAMDAS CHANDRABHANJI TADAS, SANJAY SHAMRAO DHOTRE, BHARTRUHARI MAHTAB

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.617 TO BE ANSWERED ON 20.07.2016

## INHUMAN BEHAVIOUR WITH INDIANS ABROAD

617. SHRI RAHUL SHEWALE: SHRI RAMDAS C. TADAS: SHRI SANJAY DHOTRE:

SHRI BHARTRUHARI MAHTAB:

Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether there has been an increase/ decrease in the cases of exploitation/torture of Indian workers working in other countries;
- (b) if so, the details thereof along with the number of such cases reported upon across the world during each of the last three years and the current year, country-wise;
- (c) whether the Government has also received complaints about physical  and  sexual  abuse  of  domestic  workers  working  in other countries during the said period;
- (d) if so, the details thereof, country-wise;
- (e) whether  the  Government  has  taken  up  the  issue  with  the foreign countries concerned; and
- (f)
- if so, the details and the outcome thereof?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS [GEN. (DR) V. K. SINGH (RETD)]

- (a) & (b) Information regarding Indian workers holding ECR Passports, going for overseas employment to 18 notified Emigration Check  Required  (ECR)  countries  (Afghanistan,  Bahrain,  Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Oman, Qatar, North Sudan, South Sudan, Syria, Thailand, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,

United Arab Emirates and Yemen), is maintained by this Ministry. As per  information  available  with  the  Indian  Missions/Posts  in  ECR countries,  there  is  no  general  pattern  to  indicate  an  increase  in cases of exploitation/ torture of Indian workers. Details of complaints received during the last three years and current year are at Annexure.

(c)  &  (d)    Most  of  the  complaints  received  from  Indian  workers, including  domestic workers, from time to time, are generally in the nature of non-payment/ delayed payment or underpayment of salaries, long working hours, inadequate living conditions, physical harassment, non-renewal of visa and labour card on time, refusal to pay for the medical treatment, denial of leave and air-ticket to the hometown  on  completion  of  contract  period,  forcible  custody  of Passport  and  Visa,  refusal  of  leave  or  'exit/re-entry  permits'/'final exit  visa'  etc.  No  specific  complaint  of  sexual  abuse  has  been reported by the Missions.

Such  complaints  are  addressed  by  the  Indian  Missions  by taking  them  up  with  the  concerned  foreign  authorities,  Foreign Employers or the officials of the Labour Ministry of that country.

- (e)  &  (f)      Whenever  the  Indian  Missions  are  approached  by  any Indian  national  in  distress,  the  same  is  followed  up,  at  various levels,  with  the  authorities  concerned  in  the  Governments  of  the respective  country.    In  addition,  Government  of  India  has  signed MoUs  with  6  Gulf  countries,  namely  UAE,  Qatar,  Kuwait,  Oman, Bahrain, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Malaysia. As per these MoUs, the  host  country  will  take  measures  for  protection  and  welfare  of the  workers  in  organized  sector.  The  recruitment  and  terms  of employment  will  be  in  conformity  with  the  laws  of  both  the countries.

These MOUs are renewed / signed afresh, from time to time, during  which  process  any  modifications  are  duly  considered  for inclusion.

The Government of India has set up Indian Community Welfare Fund  (ICWF)  in  all  the  Indian  Missions/consulates  abroad  to  meet contingency expenditure incurred by them for carrying out various welfare activities  for  overseas  Indian  citizens  who  are  in  distress. The objectives of the ICWF include:-

- (i) Boarding  and  lodging  for  distressed  Overseas  Indians  in need;
- (ii) Extending emergency medical care to the Overseas Indians in need;
- (iii)  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 airlifting the mortal remains  to  India  or  local  cremation/burial  of  the  deceased Overseas Indians in such cases where the sponsor is unable or  unwilling  to  do  so  as  per  the  contract  and  the  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 fines/penalties for the release of Indian nationals in jail/detention centre;

The  Ministry  has  set  up  a  24X7  Helpline  'Overseas  Workers Resource Centre (OWRC)' based 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 distressed Indian nationals,  have  been  set  up  in  Malaysia,  UAE,  Qatar,  Kuwait, Bahrain, and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.  These shelter homes provide free  boarding  and  lodging  to  overseas  Indians  in  distress  pending their repatriation.

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

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ANNEXURE

## Details of complaints received during the last three years and current year

|   No. | Name of Mission         | 2013   | 2014   | 2015   | 2016 (upto June 2016)   |
|-------|-------------------------|--------|--------|--------|-------------------------|
|     1 | Bahrain                 | 838    | 836    | 844    | Nil                     |
|     2 | Iraq                    | -      | 18     | 301    | 290                     |
|     3 | Jordan                  | Nil    | Nil    | 03     | Nil                     |
|     4 | Kuwait                  | 2443   | 3033   | 3493   | 2134                    |
|     5 | Lebanon                 | Nil    | Nil    | Nil    | Nil                     |
|     6 | Qatar                   | 3558   | 3943   | 3868   | 2273                    |
|     7 | Oman                    | 1781   | 1358   | 1097   | 937                     |
|     8 | UAE                     | 910    | 1340   | 1595   | 685                     |
|     9 | Kingdom of Saudi Arabia | 2866   | 3732   | 2921   | 1676                    |
|    10 | Sudan                   | Nil    | Nil    | Nil    |                         |
|    11 | Indonesia               | Nil    | Nil    | Nil    | Nil                     |
|    12 | Afghanistan             | Nil    | Nil    | Nil    | Nil                     |
|    13 | Malaysia                | 520    | 3018   | 2110   | 698                     |
|    14 | Thailand                | Nil    | Nil    | Nil    | Nil                     |
|    15 | Syria                   | Nil    | Nil    | Nil    | Nil                     |

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