Mumbai/New Delhi, 22nd August, 2025 ( TGN )– In a parliamentary session on 21st August, Congress MP Vivek K. Tankha asked Minister of State Kirti Vardhan Singh whether the government maintains year-wise records of Indians who emigrated and later returned over the past five years. He also sought data on the scale of repatriations under missions such as Vande Bharat, while questioning whether a centralized migration database exists.
Responding to the Query, MoS Singh clarified that the government does not maintain comprehensive migration records, since travellers often do not disclose details of their stay or employment abroad. However, he noted that data is available for Indian workers holding Emigration Check Required (ECR) passports who travel to 18 notified countries through the e-Migrate portal. The migration under this category stood at 94,145 in 2020, rose to 1,32,675 in 2021, and surged to 3,73,426 in 2022 and 3,98,317 in 2023. It dipped to 3,87,067 in 2024, with 2,56,186 recorded up to July 2025. The Minister further highlighted that repatriations under special operations such as the Vande Bharat Mission covered about 1.597 crore people, including Indian citizens, OCI cardholders and some foreign nationals.
BJP MP Baburam Nishad raised a similar question seeking details of mechanisms to assist Indians facing legal or humanitarian crises abroad, particularly in high-risk regions, and asked whether the government intended to review the effectiveness of such interventions.
In his reply, Minister Singh stressed that safeguarding Indians overseas remains a top priority. Indian missions, he said, issue advisories in conflict-prone areas, operate round-the-clock helplines, and launch evacuations when necessary. Indian nationals in distress can reach missions through walk-ins, email, social media, emergency phone lines, or grievance portals such as MADAD and CPGRAMS. Assistance is also extended under the Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF), audited regularly by the Comptroller and Auditor General.
To strengthen outreach, missions hold Open Houses and Consular Camps, while Pravasi Bharatiya Sahayata Kendras in Dubai, Riyadh, and Jeddah provide counselling to workers. There are dedicated labour wings in high-migrant destinations that handle employment disputes, and shelter homes in Gulf countries offer temporary accommodation to distressed nationals pending repatriation.
