Kuwait domestic help issue raised in House
Action taken against apps: Minister
29/11/2019, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT, ,CHENNAI
V. Muraleedharan
The Kuwait government has clamped down on apps and websites used to sell domestic help, 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 Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi 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 authority concerned 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.
Protective measures
Mr. Muraleedharan said the Indian Mission was also in touch with the Kuwait authorities to protect Indian workers from such applications. No case of an Indian victim duped through such means had come to the knowledge of the Mission, he said.
The Minister highlighted the measures put in place by the Indian government to safeguard Indian women workers and regulate their emigration for overseas employment in Gulf countries. All women emigrants (except nurses) emigrating on ECR [Emigration Check Required] passports, irrespective of the nature/category of employment, must be above the age of 30 years, he said. If foreign employers wanted to recruit Indian female workers holding ECR passports for overseas employment in 18 ECR countries, they could only do so by engaging any of the State-run recruiting agencies, Mr. Muraleedharan said.
No database
The foreign employer had to deposit a bank guarantee in the respective Indian Mission equivalent to $2500 for recruiting a woman worker in case of direct recruitment, the Minister said. Embassy attestation had been made mandatory in respect of direct recruitment of all ECR passport holding women workers in respect of all ECR countries, he said
Mr. Muraleedharan, however, 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 of workers are holders of Emigration Check Not Required (ECNR) passport and they were not required to take either clearance or register themselves before departure from India. In addition, many often go to Gulf Countries on tourist visa/ family visit visa and subsequently take employment there. Naturally, in such cases also, there is no clearance or registration.
Action taken against apps: Minister
29/11/2019, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT, ,CHENNAI
V. Muraleedharan
The Kuwait government has clamped down on apps and websites used to sell domestic help, 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 Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi 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 authority concerned 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.
Protective measures
Mr. Muraleedharan said the Indian Mission was also in touch with the Kuwait authorities to protect Indian workers from such applications. No case of an Indian victim duped through such means had come to the knowledge of the Mission, he said.
The Minister highlighted the measures put in place by the Indian government to safeguard Indian women workers and regulate their emigration for overseas employment in Gulf countries. All women emigrants (except nurses) emigrating on ECR [Emigration Check Required] passports, irrespective of the nature/category of employment, must be above the age of 30 years, he said. If foreign employers wanted to recruit Indian female workers holding ECR passports for overseas employment in 18 ECR countries, they could only do so by engaging any of the State-run recruiting agencies, Mr. Muraleedharan said.
No database
The foreign employer had to deposit a bank guarantee in the respective Indian Mission equivalent to $2500 for recruiting a woman worker in case of direct recruitment, the Minister said. Embassy attestation had been made mandatory in respect of direct recruitment of all ECR passport holding women workers in respect of all ECR countries, he said
Mr. Muraleedharan, however, 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 of workers are holders of Emigration Check Not Required (ECNR) passport and they were not required to take either clearance or register themselves before departure from India. In addition, many often go to Gulf Countries on tourist visa/ family visit visa and subsequently take employment there. Naturally, in such cases also, there is no clearance or registration.
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