Question : MIGRATION OF INDIAN LABOURERS

MINISTER OF THE STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF OVERSEAS INDIAN AFFAIRS (SHRI VAYALAR RAVI)

(a) & (b) The out-flow of Indian labourers has been increasing continuously though during the current year it has slowed down. More than ninety percent of Indian Emigration is to the Emigration Check Required (ECR) countries.

The following are the figures of emigration clearance given during last three years and the current year:

(I)	2006 -	676912
(II)	2007 -	809453
(III)	2008 -	848601
(IV)	During -	327356	2009(January to June)

(c), (d) & (e) As regards Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs, there is no shortage of manpower or infrastructure in Protector of Emigrants’ (POE) offices.

As informed by Ministry of Home Affairs (Foreigners Division) there is no shortage of Manpower or lack of infrastructure in the airport Immigration Offices i.e. Immigration Check Posts (ICPs) and Registration Offices, which are managed by Bureau of Immigration (BoI), viz. Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and Amritsar. Further, there is no lack of infrastructure at the other International Airports where immigration control is being managed by the State Governments as agency of the Central Government. However, shortage of manpower has been reported from a few other ICPs which are being managed by the State Governments.

Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) have also informed that to augment the security screening and also to facilitate passengers with a view to mitigating their hardships, the immigration system has been modernized at major international airports with the upgradation of the computer systems, implementation of Immigration Control Software (ICS), installation of Passport Reading Machines (PRMs) and Questionable Document Examiner (QDX) Machines, etc. Futhermore, the State Governments have been requested by MHA to ensure the deployment of adequate manpower at each of the ICPs under their control.