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UAE – Workers jobs under threat as recruitment system faces glitches

30 July 2015

The e-Migrate system has backfired with glitches resulting in a major crisis in the recruitment of blue-collar Indian workers to the UAE, according to the Khaleej Times. 

The system, developed by Tata Consultancy Services, was introduced in the UAE last month to ensure transparency and to end the exploitation of workers. Registering through the website of the new system (www.emigrate.gov.in) and getting an approval from the Indian missions are now mandatory for recruiting workers requiring emigration clearance from India.

Of the approximately two million Indians working in the UAE, which forms the largest workforce based on nationality, around 45% require the emigration clearance. About 3,000 such workers are recruited to the UAE every month. However, several employers based in the UAE have found it difficult to recruit them through the new system.

Delays in the process, however, have led to the expiry of employment visas issued to several workers, which one official estimated at close to 1,000. Sources aware of the issues told Khaleej Times that the ambitious project of the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs has fallen flat due to the glitches in the software.

A source told the Khaleej Times that the new system was introduced too soon. The source commented that, "the Indian government has implemented it without any trial. Neither did they stick to the phase-wise implementation announced here. There are lots of levels of approvals and the software doesn't work properly."

Frustrated employers and company representatives have been venting their anger at officials at the Indian Consulate in Dubai and its outsourced service agency IVS Global.

K. Thulaseedharan, who runs a tyre shop and an automobile spare parts shop, said four visas issued to get Indian workers for his shops have expired due to this issue.

"The immigration department here will not reissue the visas. Small companies like ours are in big trouble because of this. We are losing money spent on visas and are unable to finish our works," he said.

While employers are protesting in the UAE, job seekers are concerned in India as work visas are delayed. The Indian Ambassador to the UAE, T.P. Seetharam, said the Indian missions were aware of the issues. "These are teething problems and we have already written to Delhi listing out the issues faced by the companies here. We hope they will be solved soon," he said.

Another official from the consulate said letters had been sent to ministries of Overseas Indian Affairs, External Affairs and also the Prime Minister's Office.