The Migration Bulletin is a monthly round-up that compiles migration news from across various publications. In the seventh edition, we look at the Bihar government’s launch of a mobile application for migrant workers, the rise of Indian women migrant workers in the Middle East and North Africa, Tamil Nadu aiming to register migrant workers
Bihar launches app to address migrant workers' needs, targets 20 lakh registrations
The Bihar government on March 5 launched a mobile application–Bihar Pravasi Kamgaar–which will help migrant workers from Bihar register with the state labour department. Upon registration, the workers will receive information about employment opportunities, social security benefits they can avail of among others, as per a Times of India report.
The report mentioned that Labour Resources Minister Santosh Kumar Singh launched the app, which aims to register two million migrant workers. The labour department has set a goal of achieving one million registrations within the next three months. Labour enforcement officers have been assigned special responsibilities to ensure that at least 500 migrant workers are registered in each panchayat. For registering on the app, personal information will be collected including name, father’s name, current and permanent address, phone number, educational qualifications and more.
The 2011 census pegged the number of migrants from Bihar at 27.24 lakh, as opposed to 20.48 lakh in 2001, according to CEIC data.
TN panel proposes mandatory registration, health insurance, and grievance support for migrant workers
The Tamil Nadu Fifth Police Commission has appealed to make registration mandatory, following the recommendations to the State government for preventing crime. The Commission’s report states that the contractors who brought the migrant workers should've been registered under the Inter-State Migrant Workmen Act, 1979, reports The Hindu.
The commission consists of former Judge of Madras High Court C.T. Selvam, head of this commission, top bureaucrats, serving and retired presented their report to Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu M.K. Stalin. The Migration Story reported a similar case in Shimla where the registration of migrant workers was made mandatory. The administration has mandated that all employers, traders, and contractors in Shimla district verify migrant workers in both formal and informal jobs. They must submit personal details and a photograph of the migrants to the nearest police station. This applies to all types of employment, including minor jobs and contractual labour.
These recommendations pertain to a considerable number of migrant workers employed across various sectors, including construction, textiles, and hospitality. All companies, contracting agencies, and property owners are required to actively maintain labour profiles and to duly inform the local police and labour department.
The Commission has recommended the provision of health insurance coverage for migrant workers, in addition to the setting of norms and standards regarding their wages, compensation, and health maintenance, which should be developed by the labor department.
Furthermore, the commission has urged that companies furnish a booklet to employed migrant workers, containing relevant contact numbers and office addresses. This resource will enable workers to effectively address any grievances they may encounter.
“A separate Welfare Officer for guest workers in each industrial area may be appointed. Nodal Officers may be nominated for different States to handle State-specific issues. These Nodal Officers should be in touch with the respective States with regard to movement, welfare and grievances of guest workers from the State,” the Commission has stated in its report.
From hospitality to tech: The rise of Indian women migrant workers in the Middle East & North Africa
A study by Huntr, a UAE-based AI-driven platform, reveals that the Indian women migrant workforce in West Asia is expected to increase by more than 71%, according to The Economic Times. This growth will occur across various expanding sectors, including hospitality, healthcare, construction, and technology. This trend highlights the evolving workforce landscape, with more women entering high-growth industries.
With the Middle East and North Africa being key destinations, the number of Indian women migrant workers, currently at 3.5 million, is expected to reach six million by 2027. In 2023, sectors such as hospitality and construction, were high in demand in the UAE, followed by healthcare and education. Indian women skilled migrants are also moving to other growing sectors such as renewable energy, finance, and technology.
The Gulf Cooperation Council also fosters gender inclusivity in leadership and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). In UAE, women comprise 41% of government university graduates in STEM. Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and similar initiatives are actively driving female workforce participation, which is expected to reach 36% by 2025.
Strategic migration: India's path to strengthening global workforce demand
Global demographic trends ensure both cross-border migration and political backlash is inevitable. However, India can adopt a strategic approach to turn this into an opportunity as these countries will need skilled people, M.R. Rangaswami, founder of Indiaspora, said while speaking to The Hindu this month. He added that the Indian government and institutions should provide skill training, certification, and diplomatic efforts to smoothen the export of human resources, and plan for a large skilled workforce required abroad for the short term, as well as for their return to their homeland.
“When you look at the Western world, all of Europe, Japan, these countries, they’re ageing rapidly. They’re going to need doctors, nurses, and practitioners in that field to be available in those countries. Where are they going to come from? The local population is going down. So they’re going to have to rely on a country like India, which can train quality doctors, nurses, medical practitioners, etc. to go to these countries and actually deliver services,” Mr. Rangaswami said.
India highlights labour achievements at ILO meeting in Geneva
The Indian delegation, led by Labour Secretary Sunita Dawra, to the 353rd governing body meeting of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in Geneva, highlighted India’s achievements, learnings, and perspective on several key issues, as per a LiveMint report. The meeting was conducted from March 10 to March 20, 2025, convening the tripartite constituents of the International Labour Organization (ILO), as well as representatives from governments, workers, and employers.
India is a major source of migrant workers and highest recipient of remittances reiterated its support for strengthening global cooperation in promoting well-managed and skilled-based migration pathways. It urged ILO to increase the efforts to secure social protection for migrant workers through bilateral labour and social security agreements.
The purpose of this gathering was to address significant issues about the world of work and the governance of the ILO. The delegation shared vantage points on the mutual objective of promoting labour welfare, social justice and equality employment generation globally.
India is supporting the International Labour Organization (ILO) to organize the UN-led Second World Summit for Social Development in Doha, Qatar, at the end of the year.
The labour ministry highlighted India's inspiring progress by doubling the social protection in the country to 48.8%, with average global social protection coverage over 5%, promoting social justice and development.
The ILO praised India's establishment of significant institutions and programmes, including the Employees’ Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) with 73.7 million contributing members, the Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) serving 144 million beneficiaries, the e-Shram Portal that has registered 306 million unorganized workers, the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana benefiting 600 million individuals, and the Targeted Public Distribution System (PDS) providing food security to 1.8135 billion beneficiaries.
India also extended support to ILO’s proposal to host the first Tripartite Global Forum on Migration under Global Coalition for Social Justice and reiterated its commitment to protecting workers and the environment from harmful chemicals and waste. It also explored future plans to work with ILO on priorities such as living wages, gig and platform workers' welfare, and decent work in value chains.
Compiled by Mansi Bhaktwani
Commentaires