Reprieve for Harassed Expatriates

Following the growing number of complaints of harassment and ill-treatment of workers at their workplaces in Gulf countries, the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs has announced the setting up of a dedicated helpline. This toll-free helpline is proposed to be established in all Indian embassies and consulates across the Gulf countries.

The Ministry is in talks with several telecom companies in the Gulf to outsource
the service. The company handling the service is supposed to route all complaints
to the Ministry for appropriate action. Accessible from within India and
the Gulf, this helpline will be operational on a round-the-clock basis.

All
complaints will be swiftly dealt with to safeguard the interest of Indians
staying miles away from home.
NRIs often land in trouble with their employers due to lack of or non-conformance
of agreements.

So apart from setting up a helpline, the Ministry of Overseas
Indian Affairs in New Delhi is also emphasizing on the need of contracts
between employees, especially domestic helpers, and their employers.

Such
contracts are duly attested by the missions for their intended performance.
This should better the face of things and make life easier for NRIs.

Photo: Hyderabad 01 by Bernard Gagnon, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.