Belated Insurance And Benefits For Gulf Expatriates

02 Jan 2013

Better late than never, the interests of Indian expatriates in Gulf are at last being considered by New Delhi. While millions of workers, skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled, have found jobs and sending their hard-earned monies to their families back home, their concerns were least considered by the authorities in India. After many of the workers have been cheated, jailed or maimed during their Gulf tenure, the government has taken notice of their big contribution to the Indian economy. So much so, banks in Kerala are flush with funds of the expatriates in Gulf.

Recently, the government of India introduced an insurance scheme for these workers. While the details of how the scheme works are not known, particularly who pays the premium, as a first step the scheme is welcome. It is heartening that the insurance will go a long way for the Gulf workers' return, resettlement and old age.

The government is also considering signing social security pacts with a number of Gulf states for the welfare of these workers. There is no stressing why this is important because there have been cases of cruelty to domestic helpers, innocent workers being implicated in false cases, and the misery of the unskilled workers.

The streamlining of the immigration process is long due because while recruitment for the Gulf jobs generally happens at the private level, there is no monitoring of the individual's well-being while at work. If certain elements like the particulars of each individual are documented from time to time, it will ensure all the Gulf workers' welfare. This is not asking for too much because a small cell in the external affairs ministry can do the job for the health and wealth of the workers as also the Indian economy.

The move announced by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is expected to benefit 5 million workers in the Gulf.. As it happens, the sops to the Gulf workers come at a time when the economy has slowed down back home in the hope of boosting it with Gulf monies. Indeed, as President, Pratibha Patil had urged the Gulf workers to participate in the country's development at a Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (a convention of overseas workers).

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