As many as 787 complaints from Indian labourers in Qatar have been received by the government this year, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj today said even as she asserted that there was no pattern to indicate an increase in cases of torture and exploitation overseas.
Giving statistics about labour complaints received by various Indian Missions abroad, she told the Lok Sabha said that up to February 2016, there were 630 such complaints from Saudi Arabia.
787 complaints were received by the Indian Mission in Qatar up to March 7, while the number stood at 414 in Kuwait up to January this year.
The number of complaints received at Indian Missions in UAE and Oman stood at 383 and 330 respectively till February.
Citing information made available by the Indian Missions/ Posts in ten Middle East countries including six GCC nations, Swaraj said "there is no general pattern to indicate an increase in cases of torture/exploitation of Indian workers".
She was responding to a query whether cases of torture or exploitation of Indians abroad, particularly in Middle East countries, have been reported.
Swaraj said most of the complaints were addressed by the Indian Missions by taking them up with the concerned foreign authorities.
"Complaints pertaining to employment were taken up by the Indian Missions with the concerned foreign employer/labour department officials in the country," she added.
Meanwhile, Swaraj said 652 complaints have been received against fraudulent recruiting agents looking to hire people for jobs overseas in nearly four years.
These complaints were received from 2013 till February 29, 2016 and the central government sanctioned prosecution with respect to 24 cases.
This year, 15 complaints have been received till February 29 against fraudulent recruitment agencies.
There were 272 such complaints in 2013 and the number stood at 170 and 195 in 2014 and 2015, respectively.
Swaraj said the government has been writing to all state
governments to take action against fraudulent and illegal recruitment agents from time to time.
"As law and order is a state subject, the local police are authorised to take action on its own if an FIR is lodged by the complainant or his relative," the Minister said during Question Hour.
Whenever prosecution sanction is to be issued on the basis of a request, it is granted immediately, she added.
