Dubai: The Indian Workers Resource Centre (IWRC) in Dubai offers a 24/7 hotline for UAE-based Indians in distress, including those contemplating suicide.
According to media reports citing figures from the Indian consulate in Dubai, 37 Indians took their own lives in Dubai and the northern emirates in the first half of this year.
An immediate comment from the consulate was not available at the time of going to press.
Last week, police discovered the bodies of an Indian film producer, his wife and young daughter at their Dubai apartment.
The 51-year-old was in deep financial crisis, according to sources quoted in some sections of the media.
Indian officials in the UAE have repeatedly urged their countrymen and women to approach dedicated centres or officers for help with financial, legal or personal problems.
Financial stress is a main reason behind Indian suicides in the UAE, Sanjay Verma, the former consul general of India in Dubai, had earlier told Gulf News.
To help people seeking financial guidance – and assistance in other matters – the IWRC was established in 2010 in Dubai.
“The areas covered by the IWRC would be related to all issues concerning Overseas Employment and Immigration of migrant Indian workers,” it says on its website (iwrcuae.in)
“Distressed Indians workers” can reach expert counsellors on its round-the-clock hotline 800 INDIA from anywhere in the UAE.
The “professionally trained and qualified counsellors” can address the complaints in many of the commonly spoken Indian languages.
According to the IWRC, the calls are registered so the caller can follow up on the basis of a reference number.
There is also a walk-in counter service to receive direct petitions and offer counselling. IWRC has experts in the field of legal, psychological and financial matters.
“These one-to-one counselling sessions will be freely available to the Indians,” it says.
Depending on the case, it may be possible to arrange a meeting elsewhere in the UAE for “serious issues”.
IWRC also runs awareness campaigns and community lectures to boost morale and keep Indians informed on their rights and avenues for help.
