Abu Dhabi/Dubai: Indian diplomatic missions in the UAE will engage law firms to help workers entangled in legal problems not of their own making in a widened ambit of a welfare fund that empowers the missions to spend up to $10,000 (Dh36,700) per case, Indian officials said at two separate press conferences in Abu Dhabi and Dubai on Thursday.
The existing subsistence allowance of Dh40 per day for 30 days for distressed individuals will be extended up to 60 days on a means-tested basis, said Navdeep Singh Suri, the Indian Ambassador to the UAE, while detailing the expanded ambit of the Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF).
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Emergency medical assistance up to $5,000 (Dh18,350) can be given for victims of major accidents, life-threatening medical conditions and serious disability, if the employer is unwilling to meet the expenses and the family is unable to meet the cost — as per the new guidelines issued by the Government of India, which will come into effect from September 1.
Vipul, the Indian Consul General in Dubai, said the fund can also be used for improving consular services such as passport issuance by launching mobile applications, hiring vehicles for awareness campaigns, and infrastructure development. “We hope to at least put up some improved facilities such as better furniture, coffee vending machines, etc at our consular service areas,” he said.
Dinesh Kumar, the first secretary and counsellor of community affairs at the embassy, said a remark will be made in the passports of beneficiaries and in the central database of Indian passports to avoid the misuse of funds. “We would like to discourage workers who go back home with the funds’ assistance coming back to the same old problems. They should observe due caution while accepting job offers,” he told Gulf News.
New provisions also include supporting community activities such as Indian cultural programmes, promotion of Indian languages and art forms, welfare activities for Indian students, etc.
The ambassador said the expanded scope of legal assistance is the most important aspect. “…because we have a number of ongoing cases where companies have shut down or workers have been laid off and they are unable to obtain compensation and even salaries which are now due for several months … and they need to go to the court. But they don’t have the resources [to seek such help],” Suri told Gulf News.
He said that two companies in Abu Dhabi have laid off more than 100 workers each and the new mechanism will help the missions to take up their cases in courts of law and obtain redressal.
Kumar told Gulf News that the extended limit of legal assistance up to $10,000 (Dh36,700) will help the missions to widen their welfare role. “Now we will engage four or five law firms to fight genuine cases. Previously, law firms were engaged mainly to fight blood money cases,” he said.
The Consul General said: “We can give legal assistance to those who have committed minor offences, workers who are wrongly implicated in cases, stranded seamen, students, as well as [for people] in marital cases wherein Indian women have been left stranded abroad.” However, he clarified that in major crimes, the missions have to seek the approval of the Indian Government, if the case justifies assistance.
He said Indian students facing legal problems cans also get assistance. “The missions will host an annual event every year for Indian students to understand the problems they face,” Vipul told Gulf News.
School fees, electricity fee, etc are given for distressed Indians in the most deserving cases, he said. The missions can pay small fines in cases of illegal stay of workers wherein, prima facie, the worker is not at fault. The missions give air tickets to those who are stranded here after reaching on visit visas. “If we judge that they can’t pay for tickets, we will assist [them],” Vipul said.
The ambassador made it clear that the missions would never encourage illegal stay. He urged blue-collar workers to get recruited only through eMigrate system, India’s electronic emigration system that checks fraudulent practices.
How to get assistance from Indian welfare fund
Indians in distress can approach the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, the Indian Consulate General in Dubai and Indian Workers Resource Centre (IWRC) in Dubai to get assistance.
IWRC has a toll free number 80046342. A new branch of the IWRC will be opened in Sharjah very soon.
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The missions will assist the people in need on a means-tested bases, using Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF) that was established in 2009 in Indian missions.
The ICWF guidelines were modified and revised by the Ministry in the year 2012. The scheme has further been revised now by expanding the scope of activities and purposes for which the fund can be used.
Highlights of extended scope of Indian Community Welfare Fund:
Legal assistance up to $10,000 (Dh36,700).
Subsistence allowance of Dh40 per day for 30 days to distressed individuals will be extended up to 60 days.
Emergency medical assistance up to $5,000 (Dh18,350).
Fund can be used for improving the consular services such as passport issuance.
An entry will be made in the passports of beneficiaries and in the central database of Indian passports to avoid misuse of funds.
Payment of small fines for illegal stay of workers where prima facie he/she is not at fault.
Supporting community activities such as Indian cultural programmes, promotion of Indian languages and art forms, welfare activities for Indian students.
