Kochi: The Government of India has taken significant steps to ensure a safe and hassle-free working environment for Indian women workers employed in the Gulf countries. In a written reply to a question raised in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh stated that seven modern ‘One-Stop Centres’ have been established in key cities—Manama, Muscat, Doha, Riyadh, Dubai, Jeddah and Kuwait—to provide emergency assistance to women facing difficulties. The minister said that around 10 million Indian citizens live in the Gulf countries, with hundreds of thousands of Indian workers employed in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain.
The minister also clarified that the recruitment of Indian workers for overseas employment must be carried out strictly in accordance with the applicable regulations. When a foreign employer recruits an Indian woman worker, a financial guarantee of US$2,500 must be deposited with the concerned Indian Mission. In addition, the employment contract between the worker and the employer must be attested by the Indian Mission. The One-Stop Centres provide a dedicated helpline, medical and police assistance, legal aid, counselling and psychosocial support. Pravasi Bharatiya Sahayata Kendras are also functioning in Dubai, Jeddah and Riyadh.
To ensure that workers can access the assistance they need, facilities including walk-in appointments, email support, multilingual 24-hour emergency numbers, WhatsApp numbers, grievance-redressal portals such as MADAD, CPGRAMS and e-Migrate, as well as social media channels, have been made available. The ministry said that the majority of complaints received have been resolved promptly and that workers travelling abroad are receiving significant benefits under the Pravasi Bharatiya Bima Yojana.
