By IANS,
New Delhi: India will show “zero tolerance” to irregular migrants, an official of the ministry of overseas Indian affairs (MOIA) said here Thursday.
“There will be zero tolerance towards the irregular migrants. We will have a new law coming which will be very effective,” said G. Gurucharan, joint secretary in the MOIA, at the national stake holder’s workshop for Prevention of Irregular Migration.
The government is introducing a new Emigration Management Bill, 2010, to fight irregular migration. The bill introduced in parliament will soon replace the Emigration Act, 1983.
Studies by the United Nations Organisation on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) identified India as an important country of origin, transit and destination for migrant workers.
Though majority of migrants head mainly to Gulf countries and Malaysia, the trend shows a periodic increase in migration flows towards the US, Canada and European Union member states.
The UNODC study also reveals that every year more than 20,000 young people from the states of Punjab and Haryana attempt irregular migration and the trend is spreading to Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir too.
“The pillars to fight irregular migration are policy, partnership and purposive action which will ensure a proper legislative framework and effective administrative apparatus,” Gurucharan added.