Till now the norm was applicable only for bulk recruitments
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THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: From October 1, emigration clearance will be given to those coming under the Emigration Clearance Required (ECR) category only if the foreign employer registers on the e-Migrate portal of the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs (MOIA). Till now the norm was applicable only for bulk recruitments.
Though the centre is prescribing the fresh restrictions on overseas recruitment to curb malpractices, sources in the emigration sector fear that the fresh norms would affect the job prospects of Indians badly as foreign employers may opt for workers from other countries rather than registering on e-Migrate.
About eight lakh persons in ECR category had obtained emigration clearance during the last one year alone.
Already recruitment of nurses has been badly hit with the centre mandating processing of emigration clearance only through the e-Migrate system.
The ECR class, comprising of those who have not cleared SSLC, have already started feeling the heat as the centre started imposing fresh restrictions in a phased manner on bulk recruitment from June.
From July 1, it was mandated that emigration clearance would be given to individual cases only if demand letter from foreign employer and employment contract was approved online through e-Migrate.
By October 1, even single recruitment of those in ECR categories could be done only if the foreign employer registers on e-Migrate and gets the demand processed through the online system, both for recruitments made by recruiting agents or individuals.
“The Centre is imposing the fresh restriction, especially mandating foreign employers to register on e-Migrate, without sufficient groundwork. Most foreign employers need not adhere to the restrictions imposed by another country,” said Recruiting Agents Association of Kerala president Mr. B Vivek.
An official in the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs department also said that chances of malpractices like faking SSLC books to obtain emigration-clearance-not-required status even could not be ruled out.
“The centre should have made sufficient efforts to pursue foreign employers to register on e-Migrate before imposing the fresh norms all of a sudden,” said the official.
Meanwhile, sources in the MOIA department said some of the Protectors of Emigrants had pointed out certain glitches in the e-Migrate system which was also affecting the emigration clearance process.
( Source : deccan chronicle )
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