External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday reaffirmed the government’s resolve to continue with efforts aimed at creating safer and legal channels of emigration abroad.

”I am sure that all the Protectors of Emigrants, empowered with technology and through their collective experiences, will gear to work relentlessly towards fulfilling our commitments to the public and to the nation,” he said while addressing a function at the launch of eMigrate Portal and Mobile App V2.0.

He urged Indian ambassadors abroad to turn towards the Indian talent and the demographic dividend that India has to offer, for sourcing workforce requirements.

”I hope that all the relevant stakeholders, including Indian workers, foreign employers and recruiting agents will utilize this portal and reap its benefits to the fullest,” he added.

Mr Jaishankar said the launch of eMigrate portal V2.0 is a testament to the government’s continuing efforts to create a safer, more transparent, and inclusive mobility for Indian labour, and marks a significant milestone in its efforts to safeguard the welfare and interests of Indian citizens.

He said today there is a global need for workers who have domain-specific knowledge of their field. For several reasons, this need for a well-trained workforce in different geographies is only going to grow further.

”This is clearly reflected in the pace at which we have undertaken negotiations with different countries on migration and mobility since 2015, and also, in how the mobility ecosystem of India, itself, has been taking shape,” he added.

Mr Jaishankar said that while recognising the invaluable contributions of Indian migrant workers to India’s economy and global reputation, the vulnerabilities that they face in foreign lands must also be recognised.

”Our Missions, especially those in the Gulf, have dedicated labour attaches which ensure redressal of labour and other grievances. I am pleased to note that the revamped e-Migrate portal also has 24 X 7 multilingual helpline numbers to attend to issues that they face which require urgent solutions, in addition to features for registering feedback for redressal,” he added.

Mr Jaishankar was happy to note that the portal is working towards broadening the social security net of emigrants through insurance policies; and the arrangement with the State Bank of India for provision of additional digital payment services with zero transaction charges.