Ministry spells out rules for Gulf immigrants

In the wake of increasing incidents of exploitation and ill-treatment of Indian workers abroad, the the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs on Tuesday firmed up a model contract with specific conditions for women workers, mostly domestic maids, working in the Gulf countries. The decision was taken after a meeting with the mission heads in the Gulf countries.

The minimum wages is likely to be fixed between $250-$300 and no worker will be allowed to leave without furnishing the contract, specifying the salary and other work conditions. “We have asked all our missions to put in place a mechanism to provide legal and other assistance to migrant workers,” said Vayalar Ravi, Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs.