New measures to prevent Indian worker exploitation in the UAE

A new collaboration has been formed between India and the UAE to ensure blue-collar Indian workers hired in the emirates are offered the same salary and benefits promised by recruiters.

The new scheme will allow Indians officials to verify whether employment contracts requiring emigration clearance that are offered to workers are the same as those approved by the UAE Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, according to Gulf News.

The publication cited a circular issued on August 10 directing all Indian processors of emigrants to “carefully compare the employment contract uploaded by the foreign employer on the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation website” before clearance is given.

Nearly half of the more than two million Indians working in the UAE come under the blue-collar category impacted by the change.

Emigration staff have also been called to check the details given in the clearance form are correct and look for any fake visas or documents uploaded to the country’s emigrate application clearance website.

Recruitment agents found to have submitted fake documents are to be reported for further action, the publication said.

The new measures come after the ministry noticed some agents uploading fake or forged documents to the system.

One of the common complaints cited by expat blue-collar workers across the Gulf region is being paid less than they were promised after arriving for work.

“They will not allow a contract signed in India to be replaced or substituted by another contract unless it is to make changes for the benefit of the employees”, Indian ambassador to the UAE T.P. Seetharam was quoted as saying.