New Bill to make immigration process simpler

A new Emigration Management Authority is to be created under the rubric of a new set of rules to govern those who want to settle abroad, the government has said.

This will cover recruitment agencies and emigration ‘experts’ who currently charge a fee to aid those who want to settle abroad and/or acquire a different nationality.

All emigration is handled by the Protector General of Emigrants currently but the new law will create a multi-member authority.

The immigration Bill, which is likely to be tabled in the next session of Parliament, seeks to transform the process into a simple and hassle-free exercise.

Although the proposed law, which will replace the existing one, will make emigration transparent, it will also regulate agents who often dupe people seeking to go abroad.

Human smuggling and exploitation of immigrants is a recurrent problem, with many emigrants facing a bleak future abroad with little money and no future in the country of their choice because they are transported there and often left to their fate. Frequently their emigration is illegal.

The case is still going on in Malta of 36 people including Indians who died during a boat journey to Malta lured by its reputation as a gateway to Europe.

The new Bill provides for periodic review of the performance of recruiting agencies. based on the services they offer, the government will give them ratings.

The proposed law also seeks to regulate employers in certain countries which are favourite destinations of Indians.

The draft of the new Bill has been prepared by the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs and it has been sent to the ministries of home, external affairs and law for their comments.

The draft was prepared after a need was felt to have a new emigration regulation law in the wake of changing global circumstances and growing incidents of Indians being exploited in the absence of regulatory legislation with strict penal provisions.

There hasn’t been a single case of conviction against unscrupulous agents under the existing law. The new Bill provides for more power to police to deal with unscrupulous agents.