The issue of Indians travelling abroad via the Donkey Route heated up in the Lok Sabha, what was the government’s response?

New Delhi: The issue of problems of Indians who go abroad through the donkey route in the race to get jobs and sometimes to earn more money and the government’s sensitivity towards them was raised in the Lok Sabha on Friday. Indian National Congress MP from Rohtak Deepender Singh Hooda asked the Ministry of External Affairs during Zero Hour that lakhs of youths from many states of our country are going abroad through these risky routes without visa, called the donkey route, due to unemployment and frustration.

While asking this question in the Lok Sabha, the MP cited the example of America and said that according to the Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) US, 97 thousand Indian citizens have gone to the US in the last one year through the Mexican border or Canada via the jungles of Panama. There the youth go there facing inhumane conditions. Today, there are 15 lakh such Indian citizens in the US alone who are undocumented. Is the Ministry of External Affairs sensitive towards the problems they are facing? If yes, then what is it doing to help them?

What did the minister reply?

In response, Minister of State for External Affairs Kirtivardhan Singh said that although the question asked by the member is not directly related to our missions and ICWF, it is a sensitive question and he/she will try to answer it. The minister said that there are two types of countries for Indians who are going abroad to work. One is ECR countries and the other is ECNR countries. Countries where immigration checks are not required. The Government of India has started the e-Migrate portal. Its sole purpose is that all our Indian citizens who are going abroad should go abroad only after registering on it. This enables our missions to stay in touch with them. The government has taken many steps in case they face any kind of problem. Which includes 24×7 helpline, insurance scheme and many other things. The e-Migrate system is mandatory for ECR passport holders to go to ECR countries.

Advice for using e-migrant portal

The government advises to go through the e-migrant portal. So that we can ensure their safety and take care of them. But for those citizens who do not avail this service provided by our government. How can we know what they are doing? How are they living? The question of the member. It is more related to the visa restrictions put in place by the US. They have kept their system so strict that our citizens, who have to go there, adopt all kinds of methods. But we cannot be held responsible for this.