Halt migration to war-torn countries. Put Russia and Israel on ECR list

How could the Narendra Modi government allow labour migration to war-torn Russia and Israel, thereby putting at risk the lives of ordinary Indians!

On March 5, a 31-year-old Keralite, Pat Nibin Maxwell, who left his home in Kerala's Kollam district just two months ago, fell victim to a missile strike near the Israel-Lebanon border. Maxwell, along with two others from Kerala (Paul Melvin and Bush Joseph George, both from Idukki), were attacked near an orchard in north Israel's Margaliot where they worked. Maxwell lost his life, while the other two are currently receiving treatment in a hospital in Israel.

On March 6, in a separate incident, a 30-year-old Mohammed Asfan from Hyderabad, allegedly coerced into joining the Russian Army through a job scam, was killed in the ongoing conflict with Ukraine. On February 26, news reports said that Hamil Mangukiya, a 23-year-old from Gujarat, who was working as a 'helper' with the Russian Army, died in Russia.

The exact dates of Mohammed and Mangukiya's migration to Russia are not clear. However, a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) note on March 7 reveals that the job aspirants were duped and sent to Russia to fight alongside Russian forces. In other words, the job aspirants were sent to Moscow when Russia was at war with Ukraine.

Shockingly, the investigation agency adds that so far around 35 instances of victims sent abroad have been established in raids conducted at about 13 locations in Delhi, Thiruvananthapuram, Mumbai, Ambala, Chandigarh, Madurai, and Chennai.

In Maxwell’s case, he migrated to Israel about two months ago in search of a better life. He migrated to Israel despite an ongoing war which so far has claimed more than 32,000 lives and injured more than 85,000 people. In short, individuals who migrated to Russia and Israel when these two countries have been engaged in full-scale wars.

Surprisingly, the Government of India has not imposed any immigration restrictions on job aspirants migrating to Russia and Israel. Both these countries have not been added to the Emigration Clearance Required (ECR) list, despite ongoing security concerns and conflicts.

The ECR is a list prepared by the Union government with labour migration depending on the labour laws and security concerns in the host countries. There are 18 countries currently on the ECR list. They are: Afghanistan, Bahrain, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Oman, Qatar, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Sudan, South Sudan, Syria, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.

Some countries find a place on this list because of the poor working conditions and weak labour laws, such as those in West Asia. Others, such as Yemen, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria, Sudan, and South Sudan, are included due to security concerns.

The conflict in Russia has been on since February 2022. Since then more than 10,500 people have been killed and ~20,000 have been injured, according to the United Nations’s OHCHR. 

Given these fatality rates, how is it that the Narendra Modi government turned a blind eye when it came to ensuring labour migration protocols to these war-torn countries! In India, labour migration must take place through eMigrate, a system that was put in place in 2014 by former Minister of External Affairs Sushama Swaraj to streamline labour migration, and ensure safety of Indians working abroad, and to uphold their rights and welfare. Currently, eMigrate is mandatory only for those travelling to countries on the ECR list.

Interestingly, bypassing the eMigrate system, India entered a deal with Israel to send labourers in May. Unfortunately, even when the Israel-Hamas war broke out in October, the labour migration deal wasn't shelved.

Instead of adding Russia and Israel to the ECR list and halting migration through immigration checks, the Union government is focusing on raiding recruitment agencies that send workers to these areas. Not long back, there were state governments that were advertising of job opportunities in Israel—even though this news was widely discussed the authorities and ministries concerned overlooked the safety and welfare of job aspirants.

The Ministry of External Affairs, which governs labour migration and licenses these recruitment agencies, is the body best suited to regulate and tighten migration laws. Raids by investigation agencies such as the CBI, overseen by the Ministry of Home Affairs, may not be the most effective way to protect Indian lives in war-torn regions.

As an immediate step, the Ministry of External Affairs should add Russia and Israel to the ECR list on security reasons and halt labour migration to these countries.

When Maxwell was killed in Israel, the Israeli embassy in India said that the attack was launched by Hezbollah. Unfortunately, following the attack, the Indian embassy in Israel, without mentioning the loss of life, urged Indians to relocate to safer areas within the country, which often requires employer permission. In Maxwell’s case, he had reportedly informed his father that his employer denied his request to relocate despite the ongoing attacks. In the Russian case, the Indian embassy is claiming that it is addressing the cases with top priority.

Urging Indians to relocate during missile attacks or prioritising their cases when forced to fight in foreign wars is belated proactiveness. New Delhi should have prevented such a situation by adding Russia and Israel to the ECR list. No further time must be lost in adding them now. 

Rejimon Kuttappan is a journalist, and author of Undocumented. X: @rejitweets. 

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH.