The Kuwait goverment has taken necessary action against apps as well as similar other websites used to sell domestic helps, Union Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.
He was responding to query raised by VCK MP D. Ravikumar.
“According to certain reports in the media, a digital application was used to solicit the services of domestic workers for Kuwait. The country’s laws are against human trafficking,” the Minister said in his reply.
The concerned authority of the Government of Kuwait responded promptly to the media reports and took necessary action against such applications as well as other similar websites, he added.
Mr. Muraleedharan stated that the Indian Mission was also in touch with the Kuwait authorities to protect Indian workers from use of such applications in Kuwait, further adding that no case of an Indian victim duped through such means has come to the knowledge of the Mission, he said.
The Minister also highlighted the measures put in place by Indian government to safeguard and regulate emigration of Indian women workers for overseas employment in Gulf countries. All women emigrants (Except Nurses) emigrating on ECR passports to ECR countries irrespective of nature/category of employment must be above the age of 30 years, he said. If the foreign employer wants to recruit Indian female workers having ECR passports through Indian Recruiting Agents for overseas employment in 18 ECR countries, they can only do so by engaging any of the state- run recruiting Agencies, Mr. Muraleedharan said.
At present, there are nine such agencies namely NORKA Roots and Overseas Development and Employment Promotion Consultants (ODEPC) of Kerala, Overseas Manpower Corporation Ltd. (OMCL) of Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh Financial Corporation (UPFC) of Uttar Pradesh, Overseas Manpower Company Andhra Pradesh Limited (OMCAP) of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana Overseas Manpower Company Limited (TOMCOM) of Telangana, Karnataka State Unorganised Workers Social Security Board (KUWSSB) , Karnataka and Karnataka Vocational Training & Skill Development Corporation (KVTSDC), Karnataka, he said.
The foreign employer is required to deposit a bank guarantee equivalent to US $2500 for recruiting each woman worker in the respective Indian Mission, in case of direct recruitment, according to the Minister. Embassy attestation has been made mandatory in respect of direct recruitment of all ECR passport holder women workers in respect of all ECR countries, he said
However, Mr. Muraleedharan said there was no mechanism at present to prepare a comprehensive database of women working as domestic servants in the Gulf countries because a number of such category workers are holders of Emigration Check Not Required (ECNR) passport and hence they are not required to take either clearance or register before departure from India.
In addition, female domestic workers are going to Gulf Countries with tourist visa/ family visit visa and subsequently take employment there. In such cases also they do not need to take clearance or register, he added.
