Jaishankar, Mandaviya unveil new e-Migrate portal and mobile app
- In Reports
- 01:09 PM, Oct 15, 2024
- Myind Staff
On Thursday, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Union Minister of Labour and Employment Mansukh Mandaviya introduced the e-Migrate portal and mobile app. Jaishankar stated that the launch of the e-migrate portal shows the government's ongoing commitment to ensuring safer, clearer, and more inclusive opportunities for Indian workers. It is an important step towards protecting the welfare and interests of our citizens.
During the e-Migrate portal launch, Jaishankar recalled that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had issued a postal stamp featuring the slogan "Surakshit Jaayen, Prashikshit Jaayen" as part of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) campaign to increase public awareness of safe and legal mobility channels. He claimed that this sentiment is reflected in the launch of the e-portal, which is a manifestation of the government's commitment under PM Modi to enhancing people-centric governance and bringing improvement in the lives of the people.
"It was only last year when during MEA's campaign for raising awareness about safe and legal mobility channels, that Prime Minister released a commemorative postal stamp with the motto, 'Surakshit Jaayen, Prashikshit Jaayen', that is go safe and go well trained. Today's event captures that sentiment because it is an expression of the Modi government's commitment to improving ease of living, and enhancing people-centric governance,” said Jaishankar.
"The launch of the e-migrate portal, V2.0, is a testament to our continuing efforts to create a safer, more transparent and inclusive mobility for Indian labour and marks a significant milestone in our efforts to safeguard the welfare and interests of our citizens. This is important because it also aligns with Goal 10 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals which promotes the facilitation of orderly, safe, regular, and responsible migration and mobility of people," he added.
Jaishankar stated that he has collaborated closely with Mandaviya. The e-migrate portal's launch was also attended by Pabitra Margherita, the Union Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs. He further said, "To me, this event is as much an event of the Ministry of Labour and Employment, and really this kind of very tight working relationship that we have developed is very much a hallmark of the Modi government. So, I'm very, very pleased today that he could join us."
Jaishankar described the e-migrate portal as a ray of hope, saying, “It gives me great pleasure to launch a revamped version of the e-migrate portal and it is more than just a digital platform. It is actually a beacon of hope. It is a symbol of our commitment to protecting the rights and dignity of our workers in foreign lands.” He emphasised that they are witnessing new realities and transformations in terms of global migration dynamics, such as the portal enhancements they saw in the presentation.
"The enhancements in the portal that we saw in the presentation actually reflect new realities and transformations which we are all witnessing in so far as global migration dynamics are concerned. There is a global need and others have spoken about it. There is a global need for workers who have domain-specific knowledge in their particular fields,” said Jaishankar.
He observed that the demand for a skilled workforce in various regions will continue to increase. This is evident in how quickly India has engaged in discussions with other countries about migration and mobility since 2015, as well as in the development of India's own mobility system.
In reference to the mobility ecosystem, Jaishankar stated, "When I speak about the mobility ecosystem, I refer here to the strengthening of the entire paraphernalia associated with the citizens travelling abroad. For instance, in the last decade, our passport issuance has almost doubled. And that's primarily because we view and approach the world today as a global workplace, facilitating those who travel abroad to study or who are residing abroad and looking after their welfare and well-being at all times, especially during difficult situations, is today a very central objective of our foreign policy."
He stated that in addition to features for submitting feedback, the updated e-migrant portal will feature multilingual helpline numbers available around the clock to address any problems they may encounter, some of which require immediate attention.
“While we recognise the invaluable contributions of our migrant workers to India's economy and global reputation, we must also acknowledge the vulnerabilities that they face in foreign lands. Our missions, especially those in the Gulf, have dedicated labour attaches which ensure the redressal of labour and other grievances. I'm pleased to note that the revamped e-migrate portal also has 24x7 multilingual helpline numbers to attend to issues that they face, which sometimes require urgent solutions in addition to features for registering feedback for it,” said Jaishankar.
According to the External Affairs Minister, MEA has improved the portal's efficiency by utilising digital systems and technology. He described the integration of Digilocker with the e-migrate version 2.0 portal as a "big step" in the digital transformation process. According to him, this will enable immigrants to store their documents safely so that all crucial documents, such as employment contracts and passports, are protected, and to submit a variety of documents for clearances through Digilocker in a paperless manner.
Jaishankar said, "I'm happy to note that the portal is also working towards broadening the social security net of immigrants through insurance policies and the arrangement with the State Bank of India for provisioning of additional digital payment services with zero transaction charges. The creation of a one-stop authentic marketplace for searching for job opportunities abroad, which the Minister also recognised, and in keeping with the world where everything is at our fingertips for the development of a mobile app, which I must highlight has been done for the first time."
He said that the Indian government is prepared to continue its efforts to establish secure and legitimate avenues for individuals to emigrate overseas. He further said, "And I'm sure that all the protectors of emigrants, empowered with technology, and through their collective experiences, will gear up to work towards fulfilling our commitments to the public and the nation.”
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