Protector of Emigrants toothless, says Amnesty

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Protector of Emigrants lack resources to effectively regulate recruitment of migrant workers and this, among other factors, had caused trouble for Malayali nurses trapped in Iraq.
"Many nurses who went to work in Iraq had initially refused to return, even when trouble was at their doorstep, because they hadn't received their salaries," said G Ananthapadmanabhan, chief executive, Amnesty International, India.
The India chapter of the human rights organization released a report ?? Exploited Dreams: Dispatches From Indian Migrant Workers In Saudi Arabia ?? here on Friday on the first anniversary of Nitaqat scheme implemented by Saudi Arabia.
"The 10 Protector of Emigrants (PoE) offices in India are meant to protect, aid and advise all migrants. In reality, however, the PoE office pays a far more limited role, confining itself to the granting of emigration clearances and the perfunctory supervision of recruitment agents. The PoE offices in both Chennai and Kochi lacked the institutional capacity to effectively regulate (visa) agents under their jurisdiction," the report says.
To reign in visa brokers and unscrupulous recruiters, Amnesty International India suggests that a separate department with enforcement powers should be set up under the PoE to conduct timely and surprise checks and reviews.
The organization also suggested expanding the outreach of the pre-departure orientation and support programmes provided by the Union and the state governments, including Overseas Workers Resource Centre, Norka and Migrants Resource Centre.
Nikhil Eapen, researcher, Amnesty International India, who interviewed 51 migrant workers who returned over the past year from Saudi Arabia due to Nitaqat-related repatriation, said the pre-departure training reached only 3,000 to 6,000 people, while around 1 lakh get immigration clearance annually. "Their working conditions are pathetic; some are made to work 15-18 hours a day. Between 2011 and 2013, 53 complaints were registered with the PoE in Kochi, but not a single one was convicted," he said.
L Adolphus, the PoE in Kochi, supervises 152 registered recruitment agents across Kerala. He told Amnesty International India that he was the only person authorized to sign emigration clearance documents and it was nearly impossible for him to leave the office to conduct surprise checks on recruitment agencies.
The report states that exploitation and deception of migrant workers start much earlier, before they leave home, at the hands of visa brokers and rogue recruiting agents. "Recent events in Iraq have been a harsh reminder of risks that Indian migrant workers can face in countries they work in," Ananthapadmanabhan said.