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Government to crack down on erring recruiting agents
Sick and tired of the unscrupulous ways of recruiting agents, the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs (MOIA) is now threatening "direct action" against them.
- IANS
- Published: 23:12 July 31, 2007
New Delhi: Sick and tired of the unscrupulous ways of recruiting agents, the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs (MOIA) is now threatening "direct action" against them.
"We intend to have a prosecution clause included once the amended Emigration Act (1983) gets through so that my ministry can act directly against erring agents," Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi said here.
Ravi was speaking at a function yesterday where a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between the ministry and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).
"As of now, only state governments can take action to prosecute unscrupulous agents," Ravi said, adding that his ministry had promptly written to the concerned state governments whenever it had received complaints of exploitation of workers abroad by recruiting agents.
"I hope state governments will start work immediately to start prosecution when such cases are pointed out," he said.
The process of computerisation of the eight Protector of Emigrants (PoE) offices in the country would also go a long way in checking the illegal activities of recruiting agents, he said.
"Once all the offices are computerised, they will be linked with the airports, so that problems like fake visas are checked."
Ravi said he was particularly concerned about the exploitation of women workers, most of whom sought work as domestic servants abroad.
He said that his ministry had set up a helpline to address the problem of women being harassed or persecuted abroad.
"Additionally, we are trying to ensure that any lady who works as domestic help (anywhere abroad) should have direct telephone access to the Indian mission in that country," he said.
Stating that the ministry had signed labour welfare pacts with Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Ravi said: "The agreement with Malaysia is nearly complete. Bahrain and Oman have also agreed to sign to similar agreements with us."
Ravi said that the amended Emigration Act, 1983, which has several clauses for safeguarding interests of Indian workers overseas, had been cleared by all ministries concerned and was awaiting cabinet approval. "The amended act is at the last stage of being cleared," he said. "The whole purpose is to ensure that our workers are respected in the countries where they work."
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