Indian government issues clarification on eMigrate registration rule

Dubai - The registration can still be done voluntarily, according to the Indian embassy.

In an apparent U-turn, the government of India has decided to temporarily halt the mandatory online registration of ECNR passport holders with job visas in 18 countries, including the UAE. Tweeting the revised advisory issued by the Ministry of External Affairs on Wednesday, the Indian embassy in Abu Dhabi said the new decision is in response to the concerns raised by non-resident Indians (NRI).

Earlier this month, the government had made it mandatory for all Indian nationals in emigration check required (ECR) countries to register themselves on the eMigrate portal, www.emigrate.gov.in.

In its latest advisory, the ministry said it received "representations from various quarters, including non-ECR passport holders already employed in ECR countries, regarding difficulties faced by them in registration on www.emigrate.gov.in".

"The Indian missions in those countries have also forwarded representations received by them from the local Indian community. In view of the above, the competent authority has decided to keep this advisory, regarding registration of non-ECR passport holders, in abeyance until further orders."

However, all Indians who want to voluntarily register can do so, the advisory added.

Welcoming the announcement, Indian Ambassador to the UAE, Navdeep Singh Suri, said the embassy had shared the concerns raised by "different sections of the Indian community" to the MEA. "I am happy that the ministry has responded positively by deferring mandatory pre-registration and making participation in the process voluntary."

On November 14, the Indian ministry announced that starting January 1, 2019, all Indian nationals holding an employment visa in all the 18 ECR countries should register on the eMigrate portal.

With an estimated three million Indian expats living in the UAE alone, the new requirement sent many into a tizzy as questions were raised about logistics and feasibility.

The eMigrate website had crashed soon after the announcement was made public, and queries poured in at the Indian diplomatic missions and social organisations.

Several Indians working in the UAE wrote to Khaleej Times, raising concerns over the "inadequacy of the system, especially with frequent technical issues on the e-migrate website".

Many others had also questioned the legality of the mandatory registrations and the offloading clause attached to the decision. "What I did not understand was the government's decision to offload people who did not complete the registration. Without proper regulation or a court order, the government has no right to restrict the movement of its citizens," said Bindu Suresh Chettur, a legal practitioner based in Dubai.

She said the announcement had "caused unnecessary panic". "Proper time frame should have been given before making such announcements in the first place. There were many families who were planning to go to India during the long weekend, and all were unsure how the new rule would affect them."

A.K. Beeran Kutty, President of the Kerala Social Centre in Abu Dhabi, said the biggest concern about mandatory registration of passports was why the government was collecting personal and employment details of NRIs. "Especially now that the 2019 elections are approaching, many people were not comfortable with the idea. There were fears that the data would be misused."

Kutty said his organisation dealt with many queries regarding the registration process. "No one had definitive answers. We are happy that government has issued a clarification and deferred the decision."

K.V. Shamsudheen, chairman, Pravasi Bandhu Welfare Trust, said the government should consider the opinion of the Indian diaspora before introducing new systems.

anjana@khaleejtimes.com

• India