KOCHI: In a district like Ernakulam, which has a large migrant population, organisations and forums engaged in migrant welfare are facing increasing challenges in sending back the bodies of workers who die due to unnatural causes. A major hurdle for those involved in the process is the delay in issuance of non-objection certificates (NOCs) by authorities, especially the police.
“In cases of natural death, procedures including the issuance of an NOC are handled by police stations under whose jurisdiction the hospital confirming the death is located. However, in instances of unnatural deaths or similar cases, delays often occur in registering the FIR, which in turn further delays the issuance of the NOC.
A recent case involved a migrant worker who died of cardiac arrest while getting off a train in Aluva. It took nearly two days to airlift the body to his homeland,” said Shihab Paroli, general secretary of a migrant welfare forum based in Perumbavoor.
“All these matters fall under the responsibility of the labour and employment department. However, officials generally intervene only in cases that are formally registered. Organisations like ours take up such issues as part of social commitment. Delays amount to a form of disrespect to the deceased and a violation of their rights,” Shihab said.
He added that hospital authorities, especially at Kalamassery Medical College, handle such cases commendably, carrying out procedures including embalming free of cost, which he described as highly appreciable.
Sadiq Ali, a coordinator with the Manav Migrant Welfare Foundation — an organisation focused on the empowerment of migrant labourers in Kerala — said the lack of accurate data on migrant workers often complicates situations.
There are an estimated 35 lakh migrant workers in the state, with more than 5 lakh in the Perumbavoor region alone, including Vengola and Vazhakulam panchayats, where the concentration is highest.
These figures are unofficial, and since migrant workers are a highly mobile workforce, frequently moving in and out of the state, it is difficult to maintain precise data. Even the government does not have exact figures on the migrant population,” he said.
Sadiq Ali noted that repatriation of bodies of deceased migrant workers generally proceeds smoothly when documents such as police NOC and post-mortem report are in order. However, in some cases, delays do occur, affecting the overall process.
He said that organisations primarily focus on the education of migrant children and addressing employment-related issues. “My foundation is actively involved in providing legal support, arranging compensation, handling documentation in accident cases involving migrants, and assisting with ambulance services, coffins, and airlifting procedures, in coordination with the district legal services authorities,” Sadiq Ali added.
Meanwhile, officers pointed out that police do no deliberately delay the issuing of NOCs or other clearances, and that isolated incidents should not be seen as the norm. “In the Aluva case, the delay occurred while verifying the identity of the deceased and tracing details of his associates and colleagues.
A similar situation was encountered in a case registered at Kalamassery police station. Despite being from separate states, we treat them all as guest workers, and there are no intentional delays in handling such cases,” a top source with Ernakulam Rural police said.
While he noted that both police and district authorities face challenges due to lack of official records on migrant workers, efforts are being made to gather data with the help of residents’ associations, landlords of rented accommodations, and employers.