Overseas Mobility Bill 2025 Criticized for Weakening Protections for Indian Migrant Workers
The Overseas Mobility (Facilitation and Welfare) Bill, 2025, intended to upgrade the 1983 Emigration Act, is facing criticism for prioritizing bureaucratic efficiency over worker rights. Critics argue the Bill removes enforceable rights and fails to address human trafficking or the specific vulnerabilities of women migrants. It replaces the 2021 draft's vision of holding recruitment agencies accountable with a more deregulated framework. The Bill is seen as centralizing power in Delhi, sidelining migrant-sending states like Kerala and Bihar, and lacking provisions for the reintegration of returning workers, potentially leaving them vulnerable to exploitation.
Key Points
- The Bill replaces the Emigration Act of 1983 but is criticized as a 'Trojan horse of deregulation.'
- It removes many of the legal safeguards for migrant workers that were proposed in the 2021 draft Bill.
- The legislation centralizes control, potentially ignoring the specific needs and experiences of major migrant-sending states.
- There is a lack of focus on the reintegration of deported or returning workers, often referred to as 'returnees.'
- The Bill's 'accreditation' system for agencies is criticized for lacking transparency and accountability.
Exam Facts
- Legislation Name: Overseas Mobility (Facilitation and Welfare) Bill, 2025.
- It seeks to replace the Emigration Act, 1983.
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