GCC: 50% rise in Indian workers’ migration to Gulf this year
Reverse migration of Indian workers from Gulf countries as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic has ended and an increase of nearly 50% in fresh migration to the GCC has been recorded in the first seven months of this year compared to the whole of 2021, according to statistics presented to India’s Parliament.
From January to the end of July 2022, a total of 189,206 emigration clearances were issued for the Gulf. This compared with 132,763 emigration clearances for all of the previous year, a WAM news agency report said.
Because of the pandemic, 2020 was the worst year for migration to the Gulf. Only 94,145 emigration clearances were issued during that year.
Emigration clearance is required from the Indian government for skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled workers as well as certain professionals such as nurses, notified from time to time, for taking up employment in 18 countries including the GCC states. Such clearance is not required for Indians who are educated above class 10 unless their profession is notified by the Protector of Emigrants, the report said.
Indians who have already worked abroad for three years, income taxpayers and some other categories of Indians also do not need emigration clearance prior to travel.
