Evacuating Indians from Lebanon
The Indian government has evacuated an additional 408 people from Lebanon, including 304 Indians, 88 Sri Lankans and 16 Nepalis, on 28 July. The evacuees arrived in New Delhi aboard a special Air India flight from Lamaca in Cyprus. Indian naval ships had earlier transported the evacuees from Beirut to Lamaca. The latest evacuees bring the total number of Indians brought back from Lebanon since the start of the conflict to 1,688.
The government has decided to enforce stricter immigration laws for unskilled workers intending to work abroad. Under the new scheme, immigration authorities would issue clearances only after the companies recruiting the unskilled laborers have submitted the necessary documents and had these attested by the Indian consulate or embassy. The Protector of Immigrants at various airports in India would also be closely monitoring the departure of unskilled laborers traveling on visit visas issued by companies or travel agencies in order to protect them from exploitation. The government has also decided to set 30 as minimum age for Indian domestic workers to be employed in the Gulf. It will likewise hold recruitment agencies in India and the host countries responsible for migrant worker abuse and breach of contract. India is currently drafting a memorandum of understanding with some Middle East governments, particularly the UAE and Bahrain, to ensure better wages and living conditions for the migrant workers.
Gulf countries – top destinations for Indian workers
According to a report released by the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs, the top destinations among Indian workers are the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. The current construction boom in many of the Gulf countries is driving the high demand for Indian workers.
The Union Women and Child Development Ministry is presently considering a scheme for the care of human trafficking victims that would incorporate preventive as well as rescue and rehabilitative measures. The preventive component would include activities such as peer education and information dissemination and awareness creation campaigns while under the other component, rescue cost, counseling services to overcome trauma, medical care, legal aid and witness/victim protection would be provided to trafficking victims.
7 states asked to explain high trafficking incidence
The Supreme Court has asked seven states to respond within six weeks to the reports of the National Human Rights Commission and the National Commission for Women citing them as having the highest number of incidents of trafficking of minor girls and women in the country. The high court has asked the chief secretaries of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Goa to file their responses and submit their suggestions on how to eradicate this problem.
A survey conducted by the Department of International Development revealed that about 38 percent of all ethnic minority households studied sent an average remittance of £870 to their home countries last year. Among the largest recipients of these remittances are Nigeria, India, Pakistan, Jamaica and Ghana. Although most of the remittances came from first generation immigrants, some 20 percent of remitters have been born in Britain. About 50 percent of respondents sent money to their parents, 25 percent to other close relatives and 15 percent to spouses and children.
Sources: Meera Ravi, “Rogue recruitment crackdown: New law to protect Indian workers," Bahrain Tribune, 18 July 2006; “Scheme coming to rescue victims of trafficking," The Hindu, 18 July 2006; “Supreme Court’s ultimatum for seven states," The Times of India, 19 July 2006; “604 Indians make it home safe," The Indian Express, 21 July 2006; Sunita Menon, “Indian mission speeds up evacuation process," Gulf News, 24 July 2006; PTI, “SC asks Goa, 6 others for report on trafficking of minors," Navhind Times, 24 July 2006; “800 Indians brought back from Lebanon," Zee News, 24 July 2006; PTI, “300 more Indians to be evacuated from Lebanon today," The Hindu, 26 July 2006; Sunita Menon, “India tries to clamp down on the exploitation of unskilled labourers," Gulf News, 27 July 2006; Sunita Menon, “UAE and Saudi Arabia’s realty boom make them favorites among Indian workers," Gulf News, 27 July 2006; IANS, “India planning stricter immigration laws," 27 July 2006; IANS, “India among top recipients of money sent from Britain," Hindustan Times, 27 July 2006; Agencies, “408 more evacuated from Lebanon," The Peninsula, 29 July 2006; Nistula Hebbar, “Govt puts weight behind expat workers in Gulf," Business Standard, 31 July 2006