More than 58,000 Indian workers have been given emigration clearance by the government in the last two years for employment in the Gulf countries.

Replying to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh said that the government has also received complaints from Indian workers in Saudi Arabia regarding ill treatment by their employers.

He said that the number of Indian migrant domestic workers who have been given emigration clearance for recruitment in Gulf countries since September 2014 till date is 58,163".

Singh said that the Indian Missions in Bahrain and United Arab Emirates have received four complaints of physical abuse and harassment of migrant domestic workers.

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The minister said that the complaints received by the missions have been taken up with the local authorities.

Listing the steps taken to regulate migration, he said that age restriction of 30 years has been made mandatory in respect of all ECR passport holders except nurses emigrating to ECR (Emigration Check Required) countries.

He added later that the government has made emigration clearance of all female workers having ECR passports mandatory for overseas employment since August.

According to the Emigration Act, 1983, Emigration Check Required (ECR) categories of Indian-passport holders to obtain Emigration Clearance from the office of Protector of Emigrants (POE) for going to 18 countries which are situated mostly in Gulf region.

By Prakriti Neogi