As the Centre considers ways to evacuate Indian workers caught in the Iraq crossfire, there is a chance that the conditions of overseas labourers will finally get some concerted policy attention. At a conference chaired by the Union labour minister, many states pushed for a central registry of such workers, to protect their rights and safeguard them from harassment by employers. As of now, states like Kerala and Bihar, which do send large contingents abroad, have institutionalised their own facilitation centres and registries. But there is no comprehensive database for workers who have moved abroad, even for those who have been legally recruited.
It is only when crisis strikes, like the recent deaths of hundreds of workers in Qatar, that their working and living conditions draw attention. Across West Asia, migrant workers from India live in appalling conditions, with local sponsors confiscating their passports and constraining their mobility. This underclass is often forced to work long hours, for low wages, live in cramped housing and face routine discrimination, but it is the invisible force behind the Gulf’s showpiece architecture, its highways and hypercities. The UAE, for instance, has failed to implement a minimum wage, and no standard regulation exists for sanitation, safety or health. Things are worse for female domestic workers, who are even more isolated. While there are limits to what India can do in terms of extracting fairer conditions, it can help them seek redress, help them bargain collectively, and evolve a common migration policy with the Gulf Cooperation Council, while not cutting off their chances of employment.
