The recent suicide by a Non-Resident Indian (NRI) businessman in Kerala has brought to light the problems faced by Indian expatriates returning back home after working abroad for many years.
The scourge of corruption, a crippling bureaucratic setup, self-serving political parties and politicians, make it difficult for returning Indian expats to easily establish themselves back in their homeland.
NRI Sajen Parayil who committed suicide in Kerala’s Kunnur district in June had worked in Nigeria for many years before deciding to go back to his home state to open a construction business.
He however struggled to beat the red-tape in the state and did not get an occupancy certificate for a convention centre on which he spent a whopping INR180 million, nearly all his savings after his stint in Nigeria.
The hapless person made 19 visits to the Anthoor Municipality to seek permission but each time he was sent back by the officials. Reports suggest that he was refused approvals because of infighting within the political party that controlled the municipality.
There was massive uproar in Kerala’s state assembly after Sajen’s suicide. The Kerala government suspended four employees of the municipality and the Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan assured the Assembly that things will be sorted out soon. The project was then given the necessary approvals.
Some observers blamed Kerala state’s poor ease of business ranking for the tragedy while others thought it revealed a systemic problem.
Many industry watchers think a policy response and better infrastructure to deal with returning expatriates is the need of the hour, especially in states like Kerala (where one in five families have some relative working in the Middle East), given the surge in the number of Indian expatriate workers returning from Gulf countries due to shrinking opportunities and the escalation in the cost of living in these countries.
Overall, about 270,924 Indian expatriates returned home from Gulf countries in 2018 compared to a record 466,393 in 2017 and much smaller 258,282 in 2016. These are the latest figures mentioned in Parliament by former Indian Minister for State for External Affairs VK Singh in 2018.
The maximum number of Indian returnees were from the UAE. Last year, about 91,995 workers returned back to India. The figure touched a high of 154,957 in 2017 while the number of returnees in 2016 was 88,647.
Saudi Arabia was another country from where Indian workers returned in large numbers following imposition of levies on the workers and ban on the hiring of foreign workers in certain trades and professions.
Due to dip in oil prices and following the policy of providing more jobs to its citizens, Saudi Arabia has started banning foreign workers in certain trades and professions.
In 2018, it banned foreign workers including Indian expatriates from working in outlets selling watches, eyeglasses, medical equipment, electrical appliances and electronics, car spare parts, building materials, carpets, automobiles and motorcycles, furniture and ready-made office materials, ready-made garments, children’s clothes and men’s wear, household utensils and pastries. The move was taken to provide more jobs to its citizens. Earlier, these jobs were mostly done by Indian and South Asian expatriates.
Due to the policies and escalation in cost of living, a record number of 151,611 Indian workers returned from Saudi Arabia in 2017 followed by 79,666 people next year.
These workers struggled in the Gulf countries after losing their jobs but some were lucky to find help getting back home.
“We come to know about these kinds of problems either by newspapers, websites or the people, who are in some kind of distress, call us directly for help,” Juhi Yasmeen Khan, a social worker in the UAE told Connected to India.
Recently her organisation provided help to about 300 workers in the UAE who were left in the lurch as their employer was not paying salaries for the past several months. They made arrangements of food, medicines, hygiene kits and toiletries.
“Whenever there is any kind or problem, we try to make sure that the affected people get justice. We always try that they get their dues and they can return to their countries in a legal way,” she said.
“But, when there is a situation where legal help is not enough for the affected people, we try to help them in whatever way possible for us – sometimes by arranging food, accommodation, air tickets for them, other times by helping them find jobs, and so on,” she added.
The Government of Dubai has formed a separate department called – Permanent Committee of Labour Affairs to tackle problems of workers and labours. The committee is headed by Major General Obaid Moheir bin Suroor, Deputy Director General, General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs – Dubai.
“The committee's main responsibility is to make sure that the labourers are provided decent living & working conditions as per the UAE standards. The inspectors of the committee visit construction sites, factories, labour camps, etc. to check the conditions there. Any company that violates the rules regarding living & working conditions of the labourers are dealt in a strict & legal manner,” said Yasmeen.
Help is also provided by the Indian government to get these workers home.
“The Ministry of External affairs, through its Missions abroad facilitates return of distressed workers from Gulf countries including those who have lost their jobs,” VK Singh told Parliament. “This facilitation includes consular, logistical support as well as providing air tickets whenever required. The responsibility of resettlement of the returnees rests with the State governments, from where the emigrants have gone overseas.”
India’s state governments, already struggling to provide basic amenities to people already living in their state, however find it challenging to now invest time and money to deal with the expat returnees. The returnees as such are unfortunately forced to adjust to the realities of a hard Indian life very quickly with little state help.
Mohd. Shakeel, a trained barber worked on the outskirts of Riyadh, capital city of Saudi Arabia. He earned INR70,000 to INR80,000 which was enough for him and to send back remittances back home. However, a government levy on foreign workers was increased to SRA200 (INR3682) in 2018 which ate into Shakeel’s savings and had a huge impact on his living situation in Saudi Arabia.
Left with no choice, he returned back to India in 2018. Devoid of any governmental support, he struggled to eke out a living then found work at a barber shop at Allahabad (now Prayagraj) where he earns just INR8,000 to INR10,000 per month.
Mukhtar Ahmad was a catalogue designer making different types of readymade garments for the last 25 years in Saudi Arabia. Though initially he made a decent living but things turned sour in the past few years. He had to pay his sponsor each month whether he earned profit or not. The introduction of levies on foreign workers was also a financial jolt for him. He also returned to India in 2018. However, he is not fully settled and managing his affairs with the savings he made during the times spent in Saudi Arabia.