CHANDIGARH: As youth from Punjab continue to fall victim to unscrupulous travel agents, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has revealed that, up to October this year, a total of 3,094 illegal agents across India, including those in Punjab, have been identified on the eMigrate portal.
The MEA has emphasised that several travel agents in Punjab are not authorised to engage in overseas recruitment.
This information was disclosed by the Minister of State in the Ministry of External Affairs, Kirti Vardhan Singh, in response to a question raised by AAP MP Sant Balbir Singh in the Rajya Sabha on 28th November.
The minister stated, “The Ministry is aware of fraudulent activities by some illegal or unscrupulous recruitment agents or agencies in the country, including those in Punjab. Complaints have also been filed by aggrieved emigrants or their relatives and friends who have been cheated by their employers. It comes to the Ministry’s notice that various travel agents in Punjab, who are not authorised to engage in recruitment for overseas employment as per the provisions of the Emigration Act 1983, carry out this work illegally.”
The MEA further explained that it has been issuing advisories through the eMigrate portal, social media platforms, and other forms of publicity to raise awareness about the dangers of fake job rackets and ways to avoid falling prey to them.
“Till October 2024, a total of 3,094 illegal agents in the country, including those in Punjab, have been notified on the eMigrate portal,” the ministry stated.
Additionally, the ministry highlighted its extensive awareness campaign on safe and legal migration. This includes workshops, training sessions, digital campaigns, and information dissemination for media professionals, police officials, law enforcement agencies, local administrations, aspiring recruiting agents, entrepreneurs, and the general public.
When complaints of illegal migration or human trafficking are received, the MEA refers the cases to state police for investigation and prosecution under the relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and other applicable laws, including the Punjab Prevention of Human Smuggling Act, 2012.
In a recent joint operation conducted by the MEA and Punjab Police, 38 FIRs were registered against illegal recruitment agencies operating in Punjab.
A separate statement from the ministry revealed migration data between 1st January 2021 and 19th November 2024. During this period, 12.49 lakh individuals holding Emigration Check Required (ECR) passports left India for overseas employment in 18 notified ECR category countries.
Saudi Arabia received the highest number of emigrants (5.63 lakh), followed by the UAE (2.12 lakh), Kuwait (1.64 lakh), Qatar (1.32 lakh), Oman (94,907), Malaysia (33,482), and Bahrain (31,836).
The data also showed that most emigrants were from Uttar Pradesh (4.25 lakh), followed by Bihar (2.17 lakh), West Bengal (98,822), Rajasthan (87,388), Tamil Nadu (78,528), Kerala (60,113), Andhra Pradesh (55,485), Punjab (39,241), and Telangana (35,505).
These figures were shared in response to a question posed by Member of Parliament Jebi Mather Hisam.