The Hindu Business Line : Rs 1.47-crore grant for research unit on international migration

The Minister said he favoured strict penalties, including jail terms, for fraudulent recruiting agents. The process of amending the Emigration Act 1983 has begun.

Mr Vayalar Ravi

Thiruvananthapuram , June 12

The Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs will support a new research unit on international migration at the Centre for Development Studies (CDS), Thiruvananthapuram.

Addressing newspersons after inaugurating the new research unit today, Mr Vayalar Ravi, Union Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs, said that funds will not be a constraint for the unit. The Ministry will support the unit at CDS with a grant of Rs 1.47 crore over the next five years. However, if necessary, extra funds will be provided to support the research unit, he added.

MoUs on migration

The Government is preparing to sign memoranda of understanding on labour migration with several countries, including eight in West Asia, Mr Ravi said. The Ministry is also examining the possibility of establishing a university exclusively for persons of Indian origin in the country, he added.

Commenting on the need to protect overseas Indian workers, the Minister said that he favoured strict penalties, including jail terms, for fraudulent recruiting agents. Steps to require recruiting agents to file annual reports with the Ministry are being considered.

Similarly, the Government is also looking at posting vigilance officers at the offices of the Protector of Emigrants to ensure greater transparency, he added.

Earlier, while inaugurating the new research unit , Mr Ravi said India needs to develop a coherent international migration policy that will enable Indian citizens to benefit from the emerging economic opportunities across the world. The process of amending the Emigration Act 1983 has already begun, he added.

The Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs is looking to work with the private sector in areas such as standardisation of testing, certification and quality assurance programmes for migrants. Similarly, people going abroad need to acquire foreign language skills, and the Ministry is in discussions with organisations such as Confederation of Indian Industry to initiate programmes in this area, he added.

The new research unit on international migration looks to build on the research on migration from Kerala done by CDS over the past two decades, explained Dr S. Irudaya Rajan, Fellow, CDS. A five-year research plan for the unit has been prepared, he added. On the cards are comprehensive studies of migration from several States including Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Punjab.

The research unit also plans to develop a manual to provide pre-departure training for prospective migrants and to conduct studies on `replacement migration' such as the flow of migrants into Kerala. Refresher courses on migration studies and studies on the functioning of recruitment agencies are also on the cards.