Dubai, April 4,2012: The government is seeking to streamline the documentation process to ensure that workers traveling to the Gulf states are not subjected to exploitation, Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi said today. “Majority of Indians in the Gulf countries are blue-collar workers and we have taken measures to ensure they are not subjected to exploitation. Yet agents continue to cheat these people,” said Ravi, who is in the UAE on the first leg of the visit that will take him to three Gulf countries.
He said problems of Indians living in the Gulf region start with unscrupulous agents in India. He said solving their issues have been his ministry’s priority. He also lamented that sometimes people come here legally and overstay even after their documents expire. Addressing a meeting of the Indian Community Welfare Committee (ICWC) here, Ravi regretted the fact that even today workers from India come to the Gulf without proper visa. He said the first step toward checking such malpractices is to cancel the licenses of illegal agents and arrest them if they persist with their activities. The minister said his ministry created a fund to start bodies such as the ICWC and the allocation to his ministry has been increased from Rs 65 crore to Rs 110 crore in the pervious budget. Ravi also said he is closely monitoring the issue of non-payment of insurance claims to workers who have opted for compulsory pravasi yojana insurance schemes. The minister said the immigration regulatory authority bill is ready and is awaiting cabinet approval following which it will be put before the Parliament. “As soon as the cabinet approves it, we will make it available on the ministry website for people to make suggestions. As per this bill, protector of emigrants will also come under this authority. It will simplify the entire process,” he said. Ravi said he has also taken up the matter of education of Indians in the Gulf with Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal who has promised prompt action.
He said problems of Indians living in the Gulf region start with unscrupulous agents in India. He said solving their issues have been his ministry’s priority. He also lamented that sometimes people come here legally and overstay even after their documents expire. Addressing a meeting of the Indian Community Welfare Committee (ICWC) here, Ravi regretted the fact that even today workers from India come to the Gulf without proper visa. He said the first step toward checking such malpractices is to cancel the licenses of illegal agents and arrest them if they persist with their activities. The minister said his ministry created a fund to start bodies such as the ICWC and the allocation to his ministry has been increased from Rs 65 crore to Rs 110 crore in the pervious budget. Ravi also said he is closely monitoring the issue of non-payment of insurance claims to workers who have opted for compulsory pravasi yojana insurance schemes. The minister said the immigration regulatory authority bill is ready and is awaiting cabinet approval following which it will be put before the Parliament. “As soon as the cabinet approves it, we will make it available on the ministry website for people to make suggestions. As per this bill, protector of emigrants will also come under this authority. It will simplify the entire process,” he said. Ravi said he has also taken up the matter of education of Indians in the Gulf with Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal who has promised prompt action.