GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.6182

TO BE ANSWERED ON 04.04.2018

FAKE RECRUITMENT AGENCIES

6182. DR. SHASHI THAROOR

 Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government is aware of the recurring problem of Indian

workers going to Saudi Arabia and other middle east countries

through fake recruitment agencies;

(b) if so, the details thereof and the specific steps being taken to stop

fake recruitment agencies from duping Indian workers when they

seek employment in the middle east countries;

(c) whether the Government is aware that many of the Indian workers

who travel to the middle east countries in search of employment,

are made to work under cruel and exploitative environments; and

(d) if so, the details thereof and the specific steps being taken to curb

the exploitation and torture of Indian workers in the middle east?

ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

[GEN. (DR) V.K. SINGH (RETD)]

(a) & (b) The Government has been receiving complaints/ grievances

from emigrants and their family members/relatives from time to time, of

being cheated by illegal recruitment agencies. Such complaints are

forwarded to concerned State Governments and Police authorities urging

them to apprehend illegal agents and prosecute them. Since illegal and

fake agencies operate from the territories within the States, the State

Governments have to promptly stop the illegal activities of such fake

agencies and prosecute them, after investigations. The State-wise details

of requests for taking action against illegal agencies in 2017 are at

Annexure-I. On receipt of requests from State Governments, Prosecution

Sanction is issued by MEA. Wherever required, such complaints are also

referred to Missions/Posts abroad for providing immediate relief/rescue of

emigrants in distress, who were recruited by such fake agencies. To raise

awareness of safe and legal emigration, the Ministry has launched a media

awareness campaign in both print and visual media in different languages

with the tag line “Surakshit Jao, Parishikshit Jao” (?????????? ????, ???????????? ????)

which also highlights the Fact that emigrants for overseas jobs must go

only through Registered Recruitment Agents and not fake agencies.

Government has also issued a Standard Operating Procedure on 26th

May, 2016, to be followed by State Governments, on receipt of such

complaints. The State Governments have also been requested to launch

periodic visual and print media awareness campaign(s) amongst the

populace in their regional languages. Two high level meetings have also

been held by the Ministry of External Affairs with State Government NRI

Departments of all the States, to sensitize them on the need to take

prompt action on complaints received against illegal recruiting agents.

During their meeting CDs of Media Awareness Campaign of the Ministry in

different languages have also been handed over to State Government NRI

Ministers and Senior officials, requesting them to spread the awareness

campaign in their local/ regional media also.

(c) & (d) Reports are received by Indian Missions/Posts in the

Emigration Check Required (ECR) countries, about Indian workers, being

denied appropriate living and working conditions and denial of legitimate

labour rights and benefits as also long working hours, refusal to grant

exit/re–entry permits for visit to India, refusal to allow the worker on final

exit visa after completion of their contracts and non-provision of medical

and insurance facilities, incidents of confinement etc. Immediately on

receipt of such complaints, the Indian Missions take them up with the

concerned local government authorities for resolution. The Government

has taken several steps to safeguard the interests of Indian emigrants to

the Gulf countries, these are:

(i) The on-line MADAD portal enables the emigrant workers and their

family members to register their consular grievances online and

track their redressal.

(ii) Grievances related to Overseas Employment in notified Emigration

Check Required (ECR) countries including Gulf countries, can also be

logged in directly by emigrants/relatives or through the Overseas

Workers Resource Centre (OWRC) on eMigrate portal. These

grievances are settled by respective jurisdictional Protectors of

Emigrants (PoEs) as per laid down procedures.

(iii) Missions especially in ECR countries also conduct Open Houses on a

regular basis where workers can seek redressal of their grievances.

(iv) A multi-lingual 24X7 Helpline of Overseas Workers Resource Centre

(OWRC) in New Delhi provides information, guidance and grievance

redressal on all issues and problems pertaining to overseas

employment of Indian nationals.

(v) Missions in Gulf countries have also established 24x7 helplines and

Toll Free help lines for the benefit of Indian workers to seek help.

(vi) Indian Workers Resource Centres (IWRC) have been set up at Dubai

and Sharjah (UAE), Riyadh and Jeddah (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia)

and Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), to provide guidance and counselling

on all matters pertaining to overseas Indian workers.

(vii) Missions in Gulf provide free legal counseling, free interpretation

service and assistance in death cases.

(viii) Migrant Resource Centres are operational in Delhi, Kochi, Hyderabad,

Chennai and Lucknow.

(ix) Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF) is in place to assist Indian

nationals abroad in times of distress, on a means tested basis.

(x) Suitable accommodation to distressed Indian nationals has been

setup in Bahrain, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE and

Malaysia to provide temporary accommodation.

(xi) Labour and Manpower Cooperation MoUs/Agreements are already in

place with the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries that

provide the institutional framework to comprehensively discuss and

review labour related issues.

*****

ANNEXURE-I

State-wise details of requests forwarded by Ministry of External Affairs for

taking action against illegal agencies in 2017

Sl. No. State/UT Number of requests forwarded

1. Andhra Pradesh                       13
2. Bihar                                      04
3. Chandigarh                             16
4. Chhattisgarh                           02
5. Delhi                                      94
6. Gujarat                                   08
7. Haryana                                  14
8. Himachal Pradesh                    05
9. Jammu & Kashmir                   03
10. Karnataka                              11
11. Kerala                                    15
12. Madhya Pradesh                      3
13. Maharashtra                           54
14. Odisha                                   01
15. Punjab                                   51
16. Pudducherry                           01
17. Rajasthan                              11
18. Tamil Nadu                            28
19. Telengana                              17
20. Uttar Pradesh                         79
21. Uttarakhand                          06
22. West Bengal                          10

            Total                                   446

                                                                                                                        *****

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