By TwoCircles.net Staff Correspondent,
Malappuiram: The global economic crisis has brought untoward calamities for expatriate Malayalis, according to a study conducted by the Centre for Development Studies in Thiruvananthapuram. Around 37, 000 expatriates lost their jobs, while 37000 – 63000 had to return back home due to the crisis. About 90000 families did not receive any money from abroad this year.
The study was conducted for the NORKA, the state department dealing with expatriates, by Dr KC Zacaria and DR S Irudayarajan of the CDS. The report was submitted in the CDS on Tuesday. The report has come at a time when it is doubted that the financial crisis in the ‘Dubai World’ might adversely affect a large number of Malayali expatriates in Dubai and other Gulf countries.
Nearly 42 % of the expatriates had to change their jobs in order not to be unemployed. This change of job was a main reason for the comparatively lesser effect of the crisis in Kerala. That the crisis did not grow to an expected height and that people did not stop going to Gulf countries in search of jobs were a great relief, the study says.
22000 Malayali expatriates lost their jobs in 2008, whereas 59000 went unemployed in 2009. The study concluded from this that 37000 lost jobs due to the crisis. Of the unemployed expatriates, more than half is in Dubai – 53 %. Majority of those who lost jobs due to the crisis are from Malappuram district and majority have qualification of 10th and 12th standards. More than half were working in the private sector.
Even though 1, 73000 expatriates returned back to Kerala during the crisis time from 2008 October to 2009 June, crisis was the reason for the return for only 37000 to 63000. Among them, only 27000 remain jobless still. 1, 42000 went in search of jobs in 2009.
However, the income from foreign countries was not less in 2009 as many expatriates came back with all their wealth. But the most alarming fact is that about 90000 expatriate families got no money at all this year.
The report also asks the government to take measures to help the Gulf returnees. A rehabilitation package should be implemented so that the labour power of the Gulf returnees can be utilized for the development of the state.
The state government has decided to begin a non-banking financial institution in the model of interest-free Islamic banking. The institution would accept shares from NRIs and other businessmen. A major activity of the institution would be to provide interest-free loans to the Gulf returnees for developmental activities and projects. However, the implementation of the project may take some time.