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Exodus of Indians in Distress on the Wane

ABU DHABI - The number of Indian workers leaving the country in distress seems to be on the decline from the levels that had peaked in the immediate days after the onset of the global financial recession.

A major indication to this effect is visible from the drop in the Emergency Certificates (ECs) or ‘outpasses’ issued by the Indian consulate in Dubai to help people to return to India after losing their jobs or in other
distressing situations.

“It is difficult to tell the exact number of workerswho returned to Indiaafter the onset of the financial crisis as they do not need to report to the consulate or the embassy before leaving. And the numbers given by merelate to the return of those who were staying here without proper travel documents and work visa, and does not indicate the total number of people who left the UAE after the onset of the financial crisis,” the consul-general explained

The number of ECs issued by us came down from 2,035 in February this year to 136 in July, according to the Consul-General of India in Dubai,
Venu Rajamony.

In July last year, 267 ECs
were issued.

He said that the approvals given by the consulate for group recruitment had witnessed a steep fall in January this year to 162 from 2,988 in January last year, and went down further to 77 in February this year from 2,286 in February last year.

But the number of such approvals had picked up in March and April to 436 and 494 this year, respectively.

The figures for corresponding months in the previous year were 1,468 and 1,006. However, there was a further dip in such approvals again in May, June and July this year.

But the fall in individual recruitments have been minimal in Dubai even after the onset of recession, he pointed out. Most of the group recruitments take place during the period of the launch of major projects. This may not be the time for such launches and this may explain the dip in the group recruitments, the envoy guessed.

He denied the reports that there was a substantial increase in the transfer certificates issued by the Indian schools in the UAE to the students in the wake of recession.

“There has been no discernible trend in this regard so far. A survey of 16 Indian schools reveals that the issue of TCs had increased in the case of some schools, and reduced in other schools. There was, in fact, a minor dip in the total number of TCs issued from 5,107 in 2007-08 to 5,038 in 2008-09,” Rajamony said.

There was also a marginal decrease in the number of labour complaints received by the Indian consulate. From January to June-end this year, 1,290 complaints were received as compared top 1,570 in the corresponding period last year.

However, there have been some instances of workers being abandoned without food or shelter, and the Indian mission had been addressing such issues through the Indian Community Welfare Fund, Rajamony said.

On the whole it could be said that the financial crisis has had some impact on the Indian workers in the UAE, but there is no need for panic.

The UAE leadership is engaged in the task of re-energising the country’s economy and growth is expected soon, the consul-general said.

“Migration from India to the UAE will continue, albeit at a slower
pace,” he concluded.

ramavarman@khaleejtimes.ae

• UAE