UAE | General
India plans system to track citizens abroad
The Government of India is planning a new system to track the number of Indians abroad since presently there are only estimates of its citizens, a senior Indian official told Gulf News.
- By Binsal Abdul Kader, Staff Reporter
- Published: 23:33 December 15, 2008
- Image Credit: Gulf News archive
- A majority of Indians in the UAE are labourers and more than 50 per cent of them hail from the South Indian state of Kerala. People from other South Indian states like Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu are other major groups.
Abu Dhabi: The Government of India is planning a new system to track the number of Indians abroad since presently there are only estimates of its citizens, a senior Indian official told Gulf News.
The current system tracks those workers who go through immigration clearance but not the professionals (who do not require clearance), said K. Mohandas, Secretary in the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs (MOIA), speaking to Gulf News by phone from New Delhi.
"Even the exact number of labourers is not available because we are unable to count the returnees (expatriates who return home after some time)". These are the factors which make the exact estimate impossible, he said.
Majority from Kerala
"The approximate number of Indians in the UAE is 1.5 million. Saudi Arabia also hosts approximately 1.5 million out of the total 5 million Indians in the Gulf countries (including workers and professionals).
The official said a majority of them are labourers and more than 50 per cent could be from the South Indian state of Kerala.
People from other South Indian States like Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu are the other major groups.
Out of approximately 30 million Indians abroad, about 12 million are Indian citizens working abroad and about 18 million are People of Indian Origin (PIO - those who have citizenship of other countries but migrated from India a long time ago).
In 2007, about 800,000 Indian workers went abroad (who went through immigration clearance). The proposed system will provide the exact number of Indians living abroad, he said.
Amendment: Revision of fees
During his recent visit to the UAE, Mohandas told Gulf News that India will raise the existing ceiling of Rs3,000 (Dh 225) as transaction fee to be charged by recruitment agencies. "It is too low to cover the actual recruitment expense and makes it impossible to take action against unscrupulous agents," he said.
The Government of India will soon amend the immigration laws to raise the ceiling, said the official. He said although a new ceiling has not been finalised, the government is thinking of fixing a month's salary of a prospective candidate as the transaction fee.
Latest news
- Dubai number plates auction raises Dh27m
- Youngsters dance and raise cash for charity
- Dubai departments upgrade services
- Get yourself a free test for diabetes
- Ensuring a safety net for intellectual property
- Reader's issue addressed
- 5,552 illegals held in Dubai this year
- Man cleared because he took drugs in France
- Man charged with trafficking women
- Auditors to probe Mizin graft case
- Breaking down cultural barriers with photographs
- Abu Dhabi Crown Prince visits Islamic centre
- Transfusion centre launches new toll free number
- Smart e-Gate system launched
- Cyber infidelity creeping out of virtual domain
Community Reports
-
Mirror, mirror show me the way
Driver on Salam Street had so many boxes and fruits piled into car, he would not be able to view rear or right side mirrors
-
Parents should be more vigilant
Reader's picture highlights risk of negligence by caretakers
-
Warming up to ‘Mobilise the Earth' theme
Dubai school dedicates a whole week to celebrating Earth Day with can-collection drives, sapling plantation and painting competition among others
-
Drivers using mobiles put others' lives at risk
Speeding is dangerous for the driver and other motorists
