Labour Emigration to Israel has been initiated by the Uttar Pradesh and Haryana governments, in collaboration with the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), for employment opportunities.
Details on the recruitment to Israel:
- Haryana and Uttar Pradesh initiated the recruitment of about 10,000 workers for employment in Israel, primarily for construction activities.
- This opportunity would offer positions in plastering, ceramic tiling, iron bending, and frame working, with monthly salaries of around ₹1.37 lakh (6,100 Israeli shekels).
- India has a labour mobility partnership with Israel, which started long before the Hamas conflict to establish an institutional mechanism for migration regulation.
- Emigration Rules: Workers assigned to conflict zones or areas with inadequate labor protections need to register with the Ministry of External Affairs’ ‘e-migrate’ portal.
- Passports issued under the ECR (Emigration Check Required) scheme cover workers travelling to 18 countries, including Afghanistan, Bahrain, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Oman, Qatar, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Thailand, the UAE, and Yemen.
- Indian Presence in Israel: As per the Indian Embassy, about 18,000 Indian citizens are engaged in professions like caregiving, diamond trading, IT, and academics in India.
International Practices and Agreements:
- The protection of migrant workers is governed by conventions of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), including:
- Migration for Employment Convention (Revised), 1949
- Migrant Workers (Supplementary Provisions) Convention, 1975.
- Parliamentary Committee (2019): It was headed by Shashi Tharoor, and sited a migration policy, improved data infrastructure for protection and welfare of Indian emigrants.
Challenges:
- Opposition from Trade Unions: It was strongly opposed under the Emigration Rules of the Emigration Act and contradicts the Indian ethos of rescuing citizens from conflict zones.
- Worker Safety: Israel is not listed among the countries covered under the Emigration Check Required (ECR) scheme, causing issues on the ‘e-migrate’ system.
- The ECR scheme covers workers traveling to 18 countries, including Afghanistan, Bahrain, Indonesia, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Malaysia, Oman, Qatar, UAE, etc.
- Ratification: India has not ratified International conventions, Israel ratified the 1949 convention in 1953.
- MEA’s Stance: Israel’s labor laws are strict and robust, in line with OECD standards, and protective of migrant and labor rights.
- Global Employment Trends: ILO’s World Employment and Social Outlook Trends 2024 report, predicts rise in global unemployment rates in 2024.
Ref: Source
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