A new Emigration Bill will soon be in Parliament for approval, the senior official said

Aligning domestic priorities with external perspectives is necessary in a globalised and dynamic world and will benefit from mainstreaming of external migration and mobility policies in the development agenda, said Secretary (CPV&OIA), Ministry of External Affairs, Sanjay Bhattacharyya on Tuesday.

Bhattacharyya was addressing the FICCI LEADS 2021 Seminar on Future of Partnerships.

“Aligning domestic priorities with external perspectives is necessary in a globalised and dynamic world. It will benefit from mainstreaming of external migration and mobility policies in the development agenda @MEAIndia @ficci_india #LEADS2021,” Bhattacharyya said in a Twitter post.

During his speech, the MEA Secretary said that a new Emigration Bill will soon be in Parliament, for approval.

It will provide a simplified structure for transparent and dynamic interplay of all stakeholders, he added.

According to Bhattacharyya, the migration ecosystem of the future will be dynamic and we will have to: respond to demand, technology and opportunity, coordinate policies with the Gulf region and new destinations, develop new age skills for countries getting older or facing skill shortfall, be aligned with the Global Compact for Migration, and promote safe, legal and smart migration.

The idea of India was based on harmonious coexistence with nature, search for excellence in our pursuits and sharing our heritage with the global community, he noted.

“Following the information revolution, in the era of data and new industry, we saw the tectonic shifts in economic systems and in technology and innovation,” the MEA Secretary pointed out.

Alluding that the Covid pandemic exacerbated the situation, he said, migration and mobility had to adjust to the new normal.

Bhattacharyya argued that two trends were discernible - first, there was need for skilling and second, new destinations were emerging - thus new partnerships were needed.

In the Gulf, where most workers went, there was economic churn, localisation and changing pattern of labour demand, he stated.

However, Indian workers remained their preferred choice and Indians too found it comfortable terrain, the MEA Secretary said.

India has entered into new G-G agreements with Gulf partners to maintain our privileged status and provided wider welfare measures to the vulnerable, he mentioned.

The integration of online migration platforms, which began with UAE and Saudi and was extended to other GCC countries, ensured transparency of information and security of terms of employment, the MEA Secretary continued.

Suggesting that a new thrust was needed in skilling, involving not only government but also private sector, he said skill mapping and skill matching could be captured on migration platforms to leverage advantages for our workers in a changing environment.

Tapping new destinations in developed countries for mobility was a new and exciting area requiring policy intervention, the MEA Secretary argued.

Economic and demographic changes in many countries made them turn to India as a reliable partner, he stated.
Our outstanding professionals had established a strong reputation for knowledge and innovation, he mentioned.

Building on this goodwill and the positive outlook of the Indian economy, we embarked on developing G-G relations with several countries to give an edge to our professionals, the Secretary highlighted.
Government can create an enabling environment and private enterprise must seize the opportunities, he observed.

Recalling the success of our professionals in USA and H1B visa provided to them, Bhattacharyya said we can contribute even more, with EU, we began a dialogue for the India-EU Common Agenda on Migration and Mobility (CAMM).

India has discussed, among other issues, options for the mobility of Indian professionals, while adhering to norms of safe and legal migration, he added.

According to the MEA Secretary India has since then negotiated Mobility and Migration Partnership Agreements (MMPA) with France, Germany, Denmark, UK, Benelux, Portugal and others.