Govt halts emigration clearance to fishermen heading to Gulf

GOVT HAS ADVISED INDIAN FISHERMEN WHO HEAD TO IRAN IN VESSELS FROM THE GULF TO BE CAUTIOUS IN WAKE OF THE TENSION BETWEEN THE COUNTRIES

The government has temporarily stopped giving emigration clearance to seafarers to be employed by Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain in fishing vessels and trawlers that head towards Iran in the wake of political tension between Tehran and these Gulf nations.

The missions in Gulf countries have been told to advise the Indian fishermen to take up work in fishing vessels from these three countries to be extra cautious while venturing into waters near Iran.

“Due to their heightened security concerns, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC)’s Navy is checking all illegal vessels entering the Iranian territorial waters will now be pushed back but impounded,” says the government missive.

Taking up jobs in these trawlers could lead to “possible detention, arrest or even endanger their lives”.

Officials said the decision was taken after many instances of Indian fishermen working in the foreign vessels being detained by the Iranian authorities surfaced.

If these fishermen are seen as trespassers, they will face legal actions, including fines, jail term or both.

In view of these developments, the government has told registered recruitment agents not to “process the cases of employment/engagement of Indian emigrants/workers on fishing vessels/trawlers moving towards Iran from Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates”

And instructions have been given to protector of emigrants that no “application seeking issue of emigration clearance for work on fishing vessels/trawlers moving toward Iran, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates are cleared.”

Though there are no exact data of Indian fishermen who are employed in vessels in these countries which would possibly head towards Iran, a few thousand Indian fishermen work in the Gulf countries.

The Gulf nations are home to eight million Indian workers.