Critically examine the problems faced by Indian Blue collar workers during migration. What India should do to safeguard them abroad? Discuss (200 words)
Refer – Business Line
Enrich the answer from other sources, if the question demands.
IAS Parliament 7 years
KEY POINTS
· The major reasons behind most of the migrant worker exploitation are
a) Informal migration channels
b) Fake recruitment agents
· To address this, in 2014, GoI launched the online platform, “eMigrate” for the registration of foreign employers seeking Indian labour.
· GoI incorporated the eMigrate platform to formalise recruitment and reduce the stranglehold of dubious recruiters on job-seekers.
Problems faced by Blue collar workers
· Rules on ECR category – Currently, eMigrate does not permit Indian women under age 30 within the ECR category to migrate at all.
· This equates to a migration ban on women in this category to the 18 listed countries.
· Illegal trafficking – Migration restrictions often lead to increased risks of trafficking.
· For example, it’s easy for agents to illegally arrange tourist visas to the UAE for Indian women.
· Once in the UAE, the agents shelter the women while procuring a job for them in another Gulf country, before their UAE visa expires.
· The women aren’t stopped from entering other GCC countries as long as they have a job visa.
· Referral wage issue – eMigrate platform specifies a minimum wage (i.e.) a referral wage in each migrant destination country.
· A referral wage is not just important, but necessary for workers’ economic empowerment.
· But, the erroneous design of the referral wage has rendered the labour in some job categories far too expensive for foreign employers.
· Subsequently, these employers have begun looking to South Asian nations outside of India to fill vacancies.
What India should do?
· On ECR norms – Though ECR restrictions may be well-intentioned, they could be directing women toward informal migration channels, thereby heightening their vulnerability to being trafficked.
· Women who migrated despite the bans reported difficulties in accessing assistance when problems occurred.
· The lack of government oversight was found to lead to abuses of power by recruitment agencies.
· Hence, waiving this ban is essential.
· Regional MOUs – One-to-one MOUs between India and each Gulf country shall not suffice.
· Instead, pan-regional pacts are the call of the hour.
· The absence of pan-regional pacts leaves room for the trafficking of Indian labour across the borders of one Gulf state and another.
· Rework on referral wage – This entails surveying the prevailing market rate in the destination country, as well as drawing comparisons with prevailing wage rates in the rest of South Asia.
· Several other measures must be taken to reduce migrant worker vulnerability, from stepping up pre-departure straining efforts to incorporating harsher punishment for illegal recruiters and their subagents.
