Indian Authorities Screening Laborers Interested in Working in Israel
Jerusalem, 18 January, 2024 (TPS) -- New Delhi, January 18 (ANI): Emphasising that India has a labour mobility partnership with Israel, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that India remains committed to safe and legal mobility as the states of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh have begun screening Indians wishing to travel to Israel for labour jobs.
Jaiswal, while addressing a weekly press briefing on Thursday, highlighted that India has a labour mobility partnership with several countries across the world, and now with Israel too.
“We have a labour mobility partnership with several countries across the world and we have an agreement now with Israel as well. The agreement itself started long before the conflict erupted…The idea behind the agreement was to put in place an institutional mechanism that regulates migration to that country,” he said.
In December, the Uttar Pradesh and Haryana governments invited applications from construction workers for job openings in Israel. The government plans to send at least 10,000 workers to the conflict-hit nation. The workers will be selected by the National Skills Development Corporation (NSDC).
Jaiswal further said that a large number of Indians are already working in the caregiving sector in Israel and ensured that there is regulated migration.
“We already have a large number of people, especially in the caregiving sector, in Israel and we want to ensure there is regulated migration and the rights of the people who go there are protected,” he said.
Underscoring that the conflict still continues, while answering the question about whether these workers are maybe going to dangerous areas, Jaiswal replied is a member of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and has robust labor protection laws.
“It is an OECD country; therefore, labour laws are such that they provide protection for migrants and labour rights,” Jaiswal said.
“On our part, we are very conscious of our responsibilities to provide safety to our people who are abroad,” he added.
