India calls for steps to promote fair and ethical recruitment of migrants

India has called on the member states of the Abu Dhabi Dialogue (ADD) for taking steps to promote fair and ethical recruitment of migrants as well as safe and legal migration.

In his address at the Ministerial Consultation of ADD held on October 16-17 in Dubai, Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan spoke about the ongoing efforts between India and the UAE with respect to integration of India's e-Migrate system with online system of Ministry of Human Resource and Emiratisation (MOHRE), UAE, according to a press release issued by the Indian Embassy in the UAE.

He also talked about the collaboration on benchmarking of skill qualifications, assessment and certification.

"Both these initiatives may serve as a model of cooperation for other ADD member states for promoting fair and ethical recruitment as well as safe and legal migration," Muraleedharan, who led an Indian delegation to the fifth Ministerial Consultation of ADD, said.

The Ministerial Consultation is a regional, voluntary and non-binding consultative process between Asian countries of labour origin and destination.

It serves as a platform to facilitate regional cooperation on contractual labour mobility, sharing of best experiences and learning from one another's experience.

The ADD consists Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam and six Gulf countries of destination: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

The minister also felicitated 5 Indian workers under the ongoing India-UAE collaboration on skill harmonisation.

Muraleedharan also met Nasser bin Thani Al Hamli, Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation and Abdullah Nasser Abuthnain, Vice Minister of Labour and Social Development, Saudi Arabia.

An MoU on Skill Harmonisation with Takamol Holding (a semi-governmental agency under Ministry of Labour, Saudi Arabia) and National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) was exchanged in the presence of Muraleedharan and Abuthnain.

Muraleedharan also held talks with Mariam Eqeal, Minister of State for Economic Affairs, Kuwait and discussed issues relating to bilateral cooperation aimed at labour welfare.

Community events were organised in Sharjah and Abu Dhabi during the visit where the minister appreciated the positive role played by the 3.3-million-strong Indian community in the development of relations between UAE and India.

He also visited the the Pravasi Bharatiya Sahayta Kendra in Dubai.