External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Tuesday stressed the importance of collective responsibility of nations to combat illegal migration, exploitative practices, fraudulent intermediaries, and human trafficking. He said these challenges compromise the credibility of legal mobility ecosystems and can place vulnerable individuals at risk.
In his inaugural address at the Human Mobility Partnership Forum here, the EAM said India recognises the need for bilateral collaborations in ensuring ”safe, orderly and legal migration”. “As on date, India has signed 28 Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreements (MMPAs) or their equivalents with 26 countries and several others are currently under negotiation,” he added.
Now, India’s vision for mobility is not limited to facilitating overseas employment opportunities, the EAM stated.
“We infact view mobility as a very important pillar of international cooperation. These partnerships are based on mutual benefit, shared responsibility, and long-term sustainability. When managed effectively, such partnerships create value for the source countries, for the destination countries, for employers, for workers, for communities,” he noted.
The EAM remarked that one key pillar which has brought about a transformation in the governance of migration has been the use of digital systems and tools.
“Just two years back, we had launched eMigrate V.2 platform with better functionalities and services, creating a safer, more transparent and legal structure for mobility,” he said.
Jaishankar stated that India’s commitment to safe and legal mobility is reflected in the eMigrate platform. “And since its inception, more than 50 lakh (five million) emigration clearances have been issued. This digital ecosystem has become a global example of leveraging technology to protect migrant workers while facilitating mobility,” he said.
“The welfare and the protection of our people obviously remains the fundamental guiding principle of our migration governance. The ICWF, the Indian Community Welfare Fund, responsive consular services and our MADAD, eMigrate and other portals by addressing the grievances have helped ensure timely assistance to our nationals overseas,” the EAM stated.
He mentioned that the Human Resource Mobility Forum provides an important platform to advance all these objectives.
By bringing together policymakers, industry leaders, employers, and practitioners, the Forum creates opportunities to exchange ideas, learn from experiences, and explore new approaches towards mobility, the EAM remarked.
“Such a dialogue I believe is essential because the opportunities and challenges associated with mobility transcend national boundaries. No country can address them in isolation. And no department within the Government similarly can do it alone,” he said.