External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Union Minister of Labour and Employment Mansukh Mandaviya on Thursday launched the e-Migrate portal and mobile app.
Jaishankar said that the launch of the e-migrate portal is a testament to the government’s continuing efforts to create a safer, more transparent and inclusive mobility for Indian labour and marks a significant milestone in our efforts to safeguard the welfare and interests of our citizens.
Speaking at the launch of the e-Migrate portal, Jaishankar recalled that Prime Minister Narendra Modi released a postal stamp with the motto ‘Surakshit Jaayen, Prashikshit Jaayen’ during the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) campaign for raising awareness about safe and legal mobility channels. He said that the launch of e-portal reflects that sentiment as it is PM Modi-led government’s commitment to improving ease of living and enhancing people-centric governance.
Jaishankar said, “It was only last year when during MEA’s campaign for raising awareness about safe and legal mobility channels, that Prime Minister released a commemorative postal stamp with the motto, ‘Surakshit Jaayen, Prashikshit Jaayen’, that is go safe and go well trained. Today’s event captures that sentiment because it is an expression of the Modi government’s commitment to improving ease of living, and to enhancing people-centric governance.”
“The launch of e-migrate portal, V2.0, is a testament to our continuing efforts to create a safer, more transparent and inclusive mobility for Indian labour and marks a significant milestone in our efforts to safeguard the welfare and interests of our citizens. This is important because it also aligns with Goal 10 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals which promotes facilitation of orderly, safe, regular, and responsible migration and mobility of people,” he said.
Jaishankar said that he and Mandaviya have worked together very closely. Union Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs, Pabitra Margherita was also present at the launch of the e-migrate portal.
He said, “To me, this event is as much an event of the Ministry of Labour and Employment, and really this kind of very tight working relationship that we have developed is very much a hallmark of the Modi government. So, I’m very, very pleased today that he could join us.”
Calling the e-migrate portal a beacon of hope, Jaishankar said, “It gives me great pleasure to launch a revamped version of the e-migrate portal and it is more than just a digital platform. It is actually a beacon of hope. It is a symbol of our commitment to protecting the rights and dignity of our workers in foreign lands.”
He said that the enhancements in the portal that they saw in the presentation showcase new realities and transformation, which he stressed they are witnessing as global migration dynamics are concerned.
Jaishankar said, “The enhancements in the portal that we saw in the presentation actually reflect new realities and transformations which we are all witnessing in so far as global migration dynamics are concerned. There is a global need and others have spoken about it. There is a global need for workers who have domain-specific knowledge in their particular fields.”
He noted that a need for a well-trained workforce in different geographies is going to grow further and is clearly reflected in the pace at which India has undertaken negotiations with different nations on migration and mobility since 2015, and also in how the mobility ecosystem of India itself has been taking shape.
Speaking about the mobility ecosystem, Jaishankar said, “When I speak about the mobility ecosystem, I refer here to the strengthening of the entire paraphernalia associated with the citizens traveling abroad. For instance, in the last decade, our passport issuance has almost doubled. And that’s primarily because we view and approach the world today as a global workplace, facilitating those who travel abroad for studying or who are residing abroad and looking after the welfare and well-being at all times, especially during difficult situations, is today a very central objective of our foreign policy.”
He said that the revamped e-migrant portal will have 24X7 multilingual helpline numbers to attend to issues that they face, which sometimes need urgent solutions in addition to features for registering feedback for it.
Jaishankar said, “While we recognize that the invaluable contributions of our migrant workers to India’s economy and global reputation, we must also acknowledge the vulnerabilities that they face in foreign lands. Our missions, especially those in the Gulf, have dedicated labour attaches which ensure the redressal of labour and other grievances. I’m pleased to note that the revamped e-migrate portal also has 24×7 multilingual helpline numbers to attend to issues that they face, which sometimes require urgent solutions in addition to features for registering feedback for it.”
The External Affairs Minister said that MEA has leveraged the use of technology and digital systems to enhance the efficiency of the portal.
He said, “The Ministry of External Affairs has leveraged the use of technology and digital systems to enhance the efficiency and efficacy of this portal.
In order to expand the outreach of immigration services, an MOU was signed with Common Services Centre, CSC, which is an SPV under the Ministry of Electronic and IT, early this year. Modalities to activate this are being discussed. By enlisting the services of CSC, immigration related services will be delivered through more than… Common Service Centres which are spread across every nook and corner of this country and that too in regional languages, which I think is very much measured towards people-centric and ease of living goals that I mentioned. ”
He said that the e-migrate version 2.0 portal has also been integrated with Digilocker and termed it a “big step” in digital transformation. He said that this will allow immigrants to submit various documents for obtaining clearances through Digilocker in a paperless mode, and to store them securely so that all important documents like passports and employment contracts are secured.
Jaishankar said, “I’m happy to note that the portal is also working towards broadening the social security net of immigrants through insurance policies and the arrangement with the State Bank of India for provisioning of an additional digital payment services with zero transaction charges. The creation of a one-stop authentic marketplace for searching job opportunities abroad, which the Minister also recognised, and in keeping with the world where everything is on our fingertips for the development of a mobile app, which I must highlight has been done for the first time.”
He expressed the Indian government’s readiness to remain steadfast in the efforts to create safe and legal channels for people emigrating abroad. He further said, “And I’m sure that all the protectors of emigrants, empowered with technology, and through their collective experiences, will gear up to work towards fulfilling our commitments to the public and to the nation.” (ANI)
