KOCHI: In the wake of the increasing number of crimes involving migrant workers, the Kerala government is planning to make police clearance certificates (PCCs) from home states mandatory for their employment here. The police and the labour departments are planning to implement the decision by next year, sources said.
The PCC will serve as official documentary proof that a person has no criminal history. “A few months ago, the five-year-old daughter of a couple from Bihar was abducted by a migrant worker named Asafak Alam from her rented house near Aluva.
The next day, the child’s body was found abandoned in a marshy area behind the Aluva fish market. Upon interrogating him, along with his friends and relatives, we discovered that he was a repeat offender involved in similar cases. Having clear information about individuals, including their criminal history, will help us keep a closer watch on such migrant workers,” said a top police source.
Over 160 migrant workers were named accused in murder cases between 2016 and October 2022 in the state, the source said. On average, 1,000 cases are being registered against migrant workers in the state every year.
‘Once data collection is over, PCC will be must’
Currently, the departments are busy completing the registration of migrant workers on their portal. Already over 70,000 guest workers have registered in Ernakulam rural district alone. “We are collecting the details of the migrant workers. Once we finish data collection, PCC will be made mandatory for the workers. Implementation will commence when the government issues an order to this effect,” Ernakulam Rural SP Vivek Kumar told TNIE.
Earlier, Minister for Labour V Sivankutty had indicated the government’s intention to make PCC mandatory for migrant workers. He had also hinted at issuing licences for agents who bring migrant workers to the state.
However, Benoy Peter, Executive Director at the Centre for Migration and Inclusive Development, a nonprofit agency advocating for and promoting the social inclusion of migrants in India, called the move “utter nonsense”. “The decision to impose PCC requirements for migrant workers is a clear violation of Article 19 of the Constitution.
Kerala is the state with the highest number of NRIs, and the same state is taking such an initiative. The police and other agencies should enhance the surveillance system to curb crimes. Discriminating against migrant workers in this manner will deter them from coming here. The government should reconsider this move,” said Benoy.
REGISTRATION UNDER WAY
The departments are busy completing the registration of migrants on their portals. Already, over 70,000 labourers have registered in Ernakulam rural district