Smt. Sushma Swaraj, External Affairs Minister held a meeting with NRI Affairs Ministers of States/UTs on 10 January 2018 in Jawaharlal Nehru Bhawan, New Delhi on the subject of promoting safe and legal migration overseas. The meeting was attended by 12 State Ministers including Chief Minister of Haryana and 31 Senior Officials of 25 States.
At the outset, EAM welcomed the dignitaries and impressed upon the need of curbing the malpractices perpetrated by unregistered Agents who despatch innocent people abroad on false pretext of overseas employment and thereafter abandon them. These helpless victims are left in the lurch in foreign land, penniless and the Indian Government is hard pressed to secure their rescue and repatriation. She exhorted that since these agents function from the States’ jurisdiction and law and order being a State subject, it is incumbent on the State Government to take stringent and punitive action against them which would abate this menace.
She further outlined the four point agenda of the Government on rescue/repatriation of distressed workers abroad to include free repatriation on Government cost in case of war/natural calamity and in case of company closure of legally migrated persons. In case of illegal migration the emigrant would be brought back only once the State lodges FIR against the illegal agent and cost would be recovered from the said agent. If a person goes illegally in the second instance, cost would be recovered from the person and his passport would be suspended for five years. She concluded by requesting the States to launch a media campaign to promote safe and legal migration and ensure that the potential migrants are adequately skilled.
Thereafter, an interactive session was conducted wherein all State Ministers/representatives gave their inputs and agreed to proactively curb the activities of these illegal agents. The meeting concluded with a Vote of Thanks by Shri M.J. Akbar, Minister of State.
New Delhi
January 10, 2018