Number of Indian workers in GCC drops: Indian Minister

Oman registers decrease in Indian workers arriving; Qatar is the only country in the region to see a growth in this number

There has been a drop in immigration of Indian workers to GCC countries, the Ministry of External Affairs told the lower house (Lok Sabha) of the Indian Parliament last month.

V K Singh, Minister of State of External Affairs, had said, “As per the data captured in the e-Migrate system, the number of emigration clearances granted to Indian Emigration Check Required (ECR) passport holding

workers going to Gulf countries for employment has come down compared to the corresponding number in the year 2015.”

According to the e-Migrate system, 53,332 workers came to Oman in 2017, while only 32,316 arrived till November 30, 2018. Similarly, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain registered a drop in the number of Indian workers looking for opportunities. In the GCC states, Qatar registered an increase in the number of Indian workers owing to opportunities arising due to

the 2022 World Cup construction work.

Singh cited several reasons for the drop in the number of emigration clearance through the eMigrate system. “Prominent among them is that the Gulf countries are passing through a period of economic slowdown primarily because of the slump in oil prices. Coupled with this, the Gulf countries are aiming at filling up maximum posts both in the public and private sectors with their own nationals,” Singh said. Continued on