Indian workers fear new orange passport is licence to discriminate
Indian workers say their government’s plan to assign orange-coloured passport covers for migrants who have not completed school is unfair and discriminatory.
The orange jacket will replace the emigration clearance, which is mandatory for unskilled and semi-skilled workers who have not completed Grade 10 schooling, on the last page of an Indian passport.
The decision will affect migrant workers in 17 countries – Afghanistan, Bahrain, Brunei, Kuwait, Indonesia, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Oman, Qatar, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Thailand, the UAE and Yemen.
Reji Sunny, who works with a delivery company, said the distinctive colour would brand workers as uneducated.
“People will look at us differently and that is not good for us. They will immediately know your qualification,” Mr Sunny said. “There is a bar code inside the passport, so they have all our information. What is the need for a new colour outside?”
The Indian ministry of external affairs made the announcement last Friday. It said the decision would protect labourers who had not completed Grade 10 and could be duped by unscrupulous agents.
Workers and welfare officials say it will cause divisions.
Mr Sunny completed Grade 10 in India but when he moved to the Middle East 12 years ago he had to submit details of his work contract and health insurance to the Indian government.
Only then could he receive an emigration clearance stamp in his passport before leaving.
He is worried the new rules will segregate him and force him to resubmit work papers along with the orange passport.
Indian passports come in three colours – navy blue for citizens, maroon for diplomats and white for government officials.
K V Shamsudheen, chairman of the Pravasi Bandhu Welfare Trust, which offers advice to workers, posted a petition on Facebook appealing to the government to drop the proposal.
“The different colour of diplomats and government officials’ passports denotes respect. Orange will degrade citizens. People who have money and education get easy access to services, but with this new mentality workers will be pushed aside even more,” Mr Shamsudheen said.
Indians use a passport’s last page as official proof when applying for visas because it has been verified by the government.
“If they delete the last page, we will have to submit additional certificates from India,” Mr Shamsuheen said. “And if I apply for travel visas for my parents, I will have to get more documents attested to prove they are my parents.”
No date has been given for issuing the orange passports.