**Executive Summary**
This document presents the Minister of State in the Ministry of External Affairs' answer to Unstarred Question No. 2503 in the Lok Sabha on February 13, 2026, regarding the safety and security of Indians abroad. It outlines the government's actions to ensure the well-being of Indian nationals working overseas, prevent exploitation, and provide assistance through various channels. The document also emphasizes the need for Indian nationals to verify employment credentials and be aware of fraudulent job offers.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Government Priorities and Procedures:**
* The government prioritizes the safety, security, and well-being of Indian nationals seeking employment abroad.
* Reports of illegal migration, visa fraud, and complaints against fraudulent recruitment are referred to State police for investigation under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and other relevant legislation.
* **Preventative Measures:**
* Regular advisories caution Indian nationals against fraudulent job offers and unauthorized recruiting agents.
* The eMigrate portal lists 3505 (as of January 2026) unregistered agents.
* Awareness campaigns on safe and legal migration are conducted through workshops, training, information sessions, and digital campaigns.
* These sessions inform stakeholders about emigration regulations, schemes like Pravasi Bharatiya Bima Yojana (PBBY), Pre-Departure Orientation Training (PDOT), and advisories issued by Indian Embassies.
* **Support and Assistance Channels:**
* Established channels exist for Indian nationals to contact Embassies/Consulates for assistance, including walk-ins, email, multilingual 24x7 emergency numbers, WhatsApp, and grievance redressal portals.
* Dedicated Labour Wings in Indian Missions/Posts handle issues related to Indian migrant workers.
* Pravasi Bharatiya Sahayata Kendras are established in key locations (New Delhi, Dubai, Riyadh, Jeddah, Kuala Lumpur) to provide guidance and counselling.
* Kshetriya Pravasi Sahayata Kendras (KPSKs) operate in Kochi, Hyderabad, Chennai, Lucknow, Patna, and Chandigarh.
* **Complaint Resolution and Redressal:**
* Embassies/Consulates proactively address complaints or grievances from Indian nationals, including laborers.
* Issues are taken up with foreign employers and local labor departments.
* Indian Missions/Posts organize Open Houses and Consular Camps in remote areas to address grievances.
* **Safeguards for Female Workers:**
* Only state-run Recruiting Agencies (RAs) can recruit Indian female workers with ECR category passports for overseas employment in Gulf and other notified ECR countries via the e-Migrate portal.
* A minimum age of 30 years is required for female workers holding ECR category passports.
* **International Cooperation and Financial Assistance:**
* The government has established bilateral mechanisms and agreements with key destination countries, including GCC, to safeguard Indian workers and ensure timely grievance redressal.
* The Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF) provides financial and legal assistance to distressed Indian nationals abroad.
**Impact Analysis**
**Indian Nationals Seeking Employment Abroad:**
* **Impact:** Increased awareness of risks, access to support and grievance redressal mechanisms, protection from exploitation, particularly for female workers.
* **Action Required:** Verify employment credentials, be cautious of fraudulent offers, utilize available resources (eMigrate portal, Embassies/Consulates) for assistance and information.
**Indian Missions/Posts Abroad:**
* **Impact:** Increased responsibility for providing support, addressing grievances, and facilitating redressal for Indian workers abroad.
* **Action Required:** Maintain and improve existing support channels, organize outreach programs (Open Houses, Consular Camps), utilize the Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF) effectively.
**State Governments (Including State Police and State Recruiting Agencies):**
* **Impact:** Responsibility for investigating and prosecuting fraudulent recruitment activities, increased scrutiny on recruiting agencies.
* **Action Required:** Investigate reported cases of illegal migration and visa fraud, ensure compliance with regulations for recruitment, particularly for female workers.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of External Affairs: The primary ministry responsible for the safety and security of Indians abroad.
eMigrate portal: A portal used to caution prospective emigrants and disseminate information on safe migration.
Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF): Fund utilized by Indian Missions/Posts abroad to provide financial and legal assistance to Indian nationals in distress.
Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS): The law under which prosecution of illegal migration and visa fraud cases are pursued.
Pravasi Bharatiya Sahayata Kendras: Centers set up in key locations to provide guidance and counselling to Indian workers abroad.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2503
ANSWERED ON 13/02/2026
SAFETY AND SECURITY OF INDIANS ABROAD
2503. SHRI N K PREMACHANDRAN
Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:-
(a) whether the Government initiated action to ensure safety and
security of Indians abroad, if so, the details thereof;
(b) whether the Government has initiated action to prevent human
trafficking, forced labour and scams via fake job offers, if so, the
details thereof;
(c) whether the Government is ensuring the safety of Indians and make
effective system to address during conflicts or political instability, if
so, the details thereof; and
(d) whether the Government proposes to establish an effective system
for addressing the content violation, unpaid wages, poor working
1condition and provide legal aid to the Indian workers abroad, if so, the
details thereof and the action taken thereon?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
(SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH)
(a to d) Government accords highest priority to the safety, security
and well-being of Indian nationals proceeding for employment abroad.
As and when reports of illegal migration, visa fraud cases and
complaints against illegal agents/dubious firms luring Indians in false
recruitment offers are received, such matters are referred to the State
police for investigation and prosecution under the relevant legal
provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and other legislation
in place including the ones enacted by some State Governments.
Government of India has taken several steps to prevent such
incidents. It has issued regular advisories cautioning Indian nationals
2against fraudulent job offers and unauthorized recruiting agents and
emphasized the need to verify employment credentials through Indian
Missions/Posts abroad in the respective countries.
A list of 3505 (till January 2026) unregistered agents in the country
has also been notified on the eMigrate portal to caution prospective
emigrants. The awareness campaign on safe and legal migration
through eMigrate portal is carried out by the Ministry and 16 Protector
of Emigrants (PoE) offices across the country from time to time by
conducting workshops, trainings, information sessions, digital
campaigns for media groups, police officials and law enforcement
agencies, local administration, aspiring recruiting agents,
entrepreneurs and general public. During these sessions awareness on
emigration regulations, schemes beneficial for emigrants like Pravasi
Bharatiya Bima Yojana (PBBY), Pre-Departure Orientation Training
(PDOT), eMigrate portal and various advisories issued by Indian
Embassies are brought to the notice of all stakeholders to job seekers,
and advise them to verify all antecedents of Recruiting Agents before
3accepting any kind of employment offer and not be enticed and
entrapped in the fraudulent job offers.
There are established channels for the Indian nationals to reach out to
the Embassy/Consulate in case they need any assistance. They can
contact the Embassy/Consulate through walk-in, email, multilingual
24x7 emergency numbers, WhatsApp number, grievance redressal
portal like MADAD/CPGRAMS/eMigrate, and social media etc. There are
dedicated Labour Wings in Indian Missions/Posts abroad for handling
such matters, where there is a sizeable number of Indian migrant
workers. Pravasi Bharatiya Sahayata Kendras have been set up in key
locations such as New Delhi, Dubai, Riyadh, Jeddah and Kuala Lumpur
to provide guidance and counselling to the Indian workers. In addition,
Kshetriya Pravasi Sahayata Kendras (KPSKs) have also been set up in
Kochi, Hyderabad, Chennai, Lucknow, Patna and Chandigarh.
On receipt of any complaint or grievance from Indian nationals
including labourers, the Embassy/Consulate pro-actively takes it up
4with the concerned Foreign Employer and, if needed, the work place of
the aggrieved worker is also visited. The issues are also taken up with
the local Labour Department and other concerned authority of the host
country for redressal.
Indian Missions/Posts regularly organize Open Houses and Consular
Camps in remote areas to get feedback from Indian workers residing in
such areas and to address their grievances, if any.
Further, as additional safeguard for protection and safety of the
Female workers (including domestic sector workers), Government has
authorized only State run Recruiting Agencies (RAs) to recruit Indian
female workers holding ECR category passports for overseas
employment in Gulf and other notified ECR Countries through the e-
Migrate Portal. Moreover, there is a minimum age criteria of 30 years
for female workers holding ECR category passport for overseas
employment to protect them against exploitation.
5The Government of India has established several bilateral mechanisms
and agreements with key destination countries, including those in the
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), to safeguard Indian workers and
ensure timely grievance redressal. These include Labour and
Manpower Cooperation Agreements/MoUs, Agreements/Protocol on
Domestic Workers, and Joint Working Groups/Joint Committee
Meetings that oversee implementation of worker-protection provisions,
streamline recruitment processes, facilitate resolution of complaints,
and strengthen legal assistance frameworks.
The Missions/Posts abroad utilize the Indian Community Welfare Fund
(ICWF) from time to time to provide financial and legal assistance to
Indian nationals in distress abroad on a means-tested basis. Major
assistance under ICWF include boarding & lodging, cost of
repatriation, legal assistance, emergency medical care, transportation
of mortal remains to India, etc.
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