JOURNAL OF CRITICAL REVIEWS

ISSN- 2394-5125 VOL 7, ISSUE 18, 2020

NATURE AND ROLE OF INDIAN DIASPORA IN INDO- UAE RELATIONSHIP

1Anima Puri, 2Dr Jyotika Teckchandani

1Ph.D Scholar, Amity Institute of Social Science, Amity University, Noida, Uttar Pradesh [email protected] 2Assistant Professor , Amity Institute of Social Science, Amity University, Noida , Uttar Pradesh [email protected] Received: 16 March 2020 Revised and Accepted: 16 June 2020

Abstract Mobility of human resources is an essential feature of today's globalised world where interconnected world markets, networks, and technology all lead to growing labor, student, skilled, and family movement. Today's refugees are tomorrow's Diaspora-and those of yesteryears, today’s.The Indo-UAE Diaspora represents a large population in terms of size, distribution and scope.The subject of Migration and Diaspora in UAE has become quite important as their contribution in Indian economy in the form of remittances has compelled the researchers, academicians and policy makers to give special emphasis on this issue. This paper explores the relationship and discusses how and UAE should use the Indian strategy to extend and strengthen the relationship.The paper examines the Diaspora-Development link and concludes that it is a relationship that needs to be nurtured for mutual benefit. This argues that the Indo-UAE Diaspora has contributed to the host countries economies, and is now in a position to play a part in India's development efforts. The Indian Government’s policies and programmes are steps in this direction and the time is opportune for the Diaspora to evolve mutually beneficial strategies with both host and home countries to carry forward the relationship. Key words: , Foreign Policy, Diaspora, Migration, Remittances, Diaspora.

1. Introduction ‘Diaspora’ is a word of Greek origin meaning “to sow over or scatter”. A diaspora involves awareness of or emotional attachment to , commonly claimed origins and associated cultural attributes. Such origins may stress ethno-linguistic , regional , religious , national or other characteristics. Diasporas celebrate a culturally creative, socially dynamic and often romantic meaning. One stays concerned for homeland developments and the conditions and plight of co-diaspora members in other parts of the world flow from this consciousness and emotional attachment. Diaspora functions as a translational community . There are actual exchanges of resources or information or arranges or visits taking place across borders. To be transnational means to belong to two or more societies at the same time. India has one of the world’s most diverse and complex past of migration on Earth. Indians have been establishing colonies on every continent since the 19th century as well as on Islands in the Caribbean , Pacific and Indian oceans. British India was split into pre dominant Hindu India and pre dominant Muslim Pakistan following his independence from British Rule in 1947. The border was drawn in the west through Punjab and in the east through Bengal. This separation led to a large migration of people from 1947-1950 estimated between 12 -18 million . Nearly half the migrants, mostly Muslims came from India. Emigration from India to the Gulf sates has a historical background and it has increased remarkably since 1970s due to the ‘oil bloom’. The oil bloom of the 1970s had attracted semi-skilled and unskilled labourers from various Indian states especially from South India. A large number of these labourers moved to the UAE. The main reason of emigration is the economic betterment .The economic success in the gulf encourages the Indian youth to migrate to earn a decent living and to fulfil their dreams. The subject of Migration and Diaspora in the Gulf has become quite important as their contribution in Indian economy in the form of remittances has compelled the researchers, academicians and policy makers to give special emphasis on this issue. The GCC countries are inhabited by a large number of Indian workers and therefore are known as the “migrant corridor” in the world. The largest of these corridors for India has been the UAE. The Indian workers mainly get employed in three kinds of jobs- White collar jobs- Doctors, nurses , engineers ,architects, accountants and managers. Semi skilled workers or blue collar workers- Craftsmen, drivers, artisans, and other technical workers. Unskilled labourers- in construction sites, farmlands, livestock ranches, shops, stores, household maids and domestic workers.

221

JOURNAL OF CRITICAL REVIEWS

ISSN- 2394-5125 VOL 7, ISSUE 18, 2020

The semi skilled workers and unskilled labourers comprise 70% of the total Indian immigrants whereas the skilled labourers comprise about 30% of the total immigrants in the gulf countries. United Arab Emirates and are the most populous destinations of Indian migrants and together they contribute more than 60% of the total deployment of Indian migrant workers. Indian Diaspora is an important factor in shaping India’s foreign policy. The Global financial disruption of 1970 compelled India to alter its policy.

Historically if we analyse there has been half hearted response to diaspora affairs. In the early years after Independence, India was overcoming the challenges like poverty and hunger. So, any working conditions that would bring in remittance was accepted by the government. Also, most semi skilled and unskilled workers, came from the poorer sections of society, as a result they were not likely to influence policy making directly or indirectly.

Until 1983 there were no official records of Indian emigrants living in other countries . Collection of Information for record keeping started in 1983 by Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs (MOIA) , Government of India which safeguarded the interests of Indian nationals working abroad and to protected them in case of any adversities under The Emigration Act of 1983. The act required all workers seeking contractual employment abroad to seek emigration clearance from the office of the Protectors of Emigrants, under the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs .1 The massive migration from India to the gulf countries especially UAE after the oil bloom in 1973, converted the desert economies into the fastest growing regions of the World as the oil revenues money was used for different purposes like development of infrastructure , agriculture sector, administrative apparatus , improvement of social services including health care and education.2 But over the last decades , there have been some signs of change in India. The Indian government has brought forth a more comprehensive strategy by the Indian government. Several Memorandum of Understanding (MoU’s) related to diaspora affairs were signed which reflected India’s efforts to secure its diaspora in the global arena.

The establishment of the Ministry of Oversees Indian Affairs (MOIA), Government of India in the year 2004 was a significant step. The aim was to “establish robust and vibrant institutional framework to facilitate and support mutually beneficial networks with and among overseas Indians to maximise the development impact for India and enable oversees Indians to invest and benefits from the opportunities in India.

In 2016, the merger of the MOIA into the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) under PM Narendra Modi, made external affairs minister responsible for overseas India thereby acknowledge the diaspora as an essential part of India’s broader foreign affairs agenda. The Modi government has always paid a greater emphasis on the importance of the diaspora in UAE. During his visit in UAE , he addressed 50,000 expatriates Indians publicly . He broke the news that the UAE land will have the first Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi in Malaysia as the major proportion of attendees were from . His field visit to the migrant labour camp was a sentiment that reflected the concern for the well being of workers residing there.

India and UAE share historical and cultural ties and exchanges at the official and people to people level. UAE is home to 2.8 million Indian expatriates, the largest expatriate community in the UAE. Majority of the Indian expatriates are residing in UAE contributing in development of various sectors of that country in social, educational, health, business and other economic sector of United Arab Emirates Professionally qualified personnel constitute about 20% of the community, followed by 20% white collar non professionals (clerical staff, shop assistants, sales men, accountants etc) and the remainder 65% comprise blue-collar workers. Indians form a significant component of the business community from India. The Indian community has contributed significantly in the economic development of the UAE. With a large number of blue collared Indian workers, focus of bilateral relations is also on developing efficient grievance redressal mechanism for the Indian workers in the UAE3.The Indian Embassy in UAE organises various cultural activities at its own as well as by collaborating with Indian associates based in UAE. The Embassy has brought out ‘guidelines for India’ for the benefit of Indian community in UAE. A comprehensive online web based NRI Registered system has been developed for Indian Residents in

1 Khadariya Binod (2010), Paradigm Shifts in India’s migration policy towards the Gulf, Middle East Institute Viewpoints. 2 Winckler, Onn (1997) , The immigration Policy of the (GCC) States, Middle Eastern Studies,33 (3): 480 -98 3 Zachariah, K. C., B. A. Prakash, and S. Irudaya Rajan. "Indian Workers in UAE: Employment, Wages and Working Conditions."Economic and Political Weekly 39, no. 22, 2004

222

JOURNAL OF CRITICAL REVIEWS

ISSN- 2394-5125 VOL 7, ISSUE 18, 2020

Use to register themselves on the system by filling in the registered details. E-migrate system, an online web based portal has been put in place for recruitment of Indian workers including Indian nurses from 1 June 2015.4 The embassy has Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF) for providing short term economic assistance (food, shelter, passage expenses etc) to destitute workers/ housemaids in distress. Indian workers Resource Centre (IWRC) with a 24 hour helpline is operating in Dubai ( since 2010) and Sharjah (September 2017). UAE’s prestigious Abu Dhabi Festival (ADF) which showcased diverse cultural wealth of India to the World bringing top level performances from India had India as the ‘Guest of Honour’. The members of the Indian community and diplomats were a major participant at the 4th International Day of Yoga celebrated on 21 June 2018 in Abu Dhabi. According to the opinion of UAE Ambassador Talmiz Ahmad, the Indian diaspora in the UAE can be represented as follows: a) 1970s and 1980s: The infrastructural development phase. India started dominating the labour market. So the number of blue-collar workers increased to between 75% and 80% and the professionals by 5%. b) 1990s: Development of non-oil sector and service sector. This period needed professionals for maintenance work. So the number of Indian professionals increased to between 25% and 30%. c) 2000s- Knowledge based economy flourished . A rapid increase in the number of Indian professionals in the UAE.

2. Globalisation, Migration and Development Globalisation has been a major factor that has been influencing the International migration . Due to enormous factors , migration is getting importance in the contemporary era. International migration provides productive Labour and an economic lifeline for host countries. It also reduces unemployment pressures in home countries.5 Through the labour of the migrants , there is a huge inflow of remittances which is a boost to the home economy and therefore has a positive impact. For many developing countries, it is a significant source of external funding , therefore the migrant workers are the vital component of the host country economy.According to International Organisation of Migration’s World Migration Report, 2013, India is among the top four migrant sending and receiving countries after the United States , the Russian Federation and Ukraine.6The inevitable presence of the large numbers of Indian communities in every sector of the economy is a vital factor in the Gulf region. Large number of people are aspiring for migration to foreign countries to achieve their ambition of life. There are push factors and pull factors . The push factors include lack of jobs , poverty, famine , drought , natural disasters, over population, fear for the loss of wealth, high cost of living, political oppression or persecution, repressive culture , welfare or civil strife etc.The pull factors include high income , better housing , better jobs , higher standards of living , more desirable climate , economic stability , cultural diversity , religious or political tolerance at the host country. The migration of Indians to the Gulf especially UAE has empowered then in terms of economic independence and higher self esteem. The foreign exchange earnings and GDP growth has improved significantly due to the remittances sent by migrant workers .Earning foreign exchange, enhancing migrant skills and reducing unemployment and underemployment in labour sending countries are key features of labour migration.7

Figure 1: Top Five Origin Countries of the Foreign-Born Population in the United Arab Emirates

4 Ministry of Labour (1991) Report of the National Commission on Rural Labour (NCRL Report). New Delhi: Government of India. 5 Azeez,A & Begum,M (2009) Gulf, Migration, Remittances, and Economic Impact, Journal of Social Sciences,20(1): 55 -60. 6 International Organisation of Migration’s World Migration Report, 2013 7 Mosse, D., Gupta, S., Mehta, M., Shah, V., Rees, J. and KRIBP Team (2002) . Brokered livelihoods: Debt, labour migration and development in tribal western India. Journal of Development Studies, 38(5), pp.59–88

223

JOURNAL OF CRITICAL REVIEWS

ISSN- 2394-5125 VOL 7, ISSUE 18, 2020

8 Source: United Nations. 2013. Total Migrant Stock at Mid-Year by Origin and Destination. United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division.

3. Kafala system- Ongoing Challenges Policy and enforcement gaps in the UAE allow foreign and local employers and recruitment agencies to breach local and international labor standards, as well as undermine the efforts of the UAE to uphold international human rights obligations. The Kafala program has also raised a number of domestic problems that stem from the reliance of the nation on foreign labor. According to Human Rights Watch and other international rights advocates, the Kafala system exposes migrant workers to abuse in many forms, including exploitative working conditions, poor living accommodations, restrictions on freedom to organise or bargain collectively, and non payment of salaries (despite a mandatory electronic payment system in place since 2009). Sexual abuse and violence are also reported regularly, and the Philippine government has, on occasion, enforced temporary bans to prevent female workers from being deployed in certain countries, including the UAE, Jordan, and Iraq.For its part, the UAE government recognises gaps in implementation of labor laws and other mandates but contends that organisations like Human Rights Watch often turn a blind eye to past efforts and current policy developments to better protect migrant workers from abusive labor practices. The UAE government struggles to ensure employment opportunities and career advancement for its own (very small) high-skilled workforce. Emirati professionals face constraints in all public, private, and quasi-government sectors. Additionally, limited lateral mobility to move from public or quasi-government sectors to the private sector is a critical problem for Emirati professionals. At worst, their previous public-sector work experience is simply not recognised or overlooked when applying for private-sector jobs (roughly analogous to the problem of foreign diploma recognition). At best, they must take pay cuts and/or suffer from occupational downgrade after managing to make a successful lateral move. Further, UAE nationals are often perceived as incompetent, lazy, and dependent, which negatively shapes and normalises their value within the labor market9. Employers generally prefer high-skilled expats and often ignore the presence of high-skilled UAE nationals, giving rise to economic competition between the two — and leaving Emirati professionals generally under utilised within the labor market.Although the government facilitates equal access to entry-level employment opportunities in the public, quasi-government, and private sectors, little follow-up is carried out to evaluate UAE nationals' experiences within organisations and the labor market more generally. While there has been extensive public debate on the issue, little research has been conducted to probe into the frequency or extent of the problem.

The UAE government has over the past several years changed its laws and bilateral agreements with labor-sending countries to resolve this array of problems. It has also increased its international cooperation on labor issues and many governments at the Emirates level have also taken steps to protect migrant workers ' rights. Ther e have been several developments in terms of federal and Emirate-level laws and regulations to address labor issues in the UAE, including a “mid-day break” law passed in 2005 to protect construction and other outdoor workers from heat-related injuries. In addition, the Ministry of Labor established offices in the Dubai and Abu Dhabi courts to facilitate the handling of labor dispute cases.10 One of the most notable actions to address labor issues has been the Wage Protection System (WPS), introduced in 2009, which aims to crack down on nonpayment of salaries in the private sector (mainly construction, retail, and small businesses). Since its launch, approximately 2.9 million workers and 205,000 of the UAE's 250,000 registered businesses have enrolled in the WPS, and more than 600 employers have been penalized. In 2007, businesses paid 52 million dihams ($14.2 million) in unpaid wages after legal action. Although domestic workers are not covered under the WPS, there have been a few other policy developments in their favour. The UAE Federal National Council in 2012 approved legislation to address the protection of domestic workers' rights (with provisions such as paid vacation and sick leave; the measure currently awaits the president's signature). In 2013, the UAE government amended a federal law to better safeguard victims of human trafficking, and also launched an awareness-raising campaign targeting those who may be in a position to combat trafficking, such as airport security personnel.UAE officials have also shown openness to international cooperation on labor standards, for example taking an active role in the Abu Dhabi Dialogue, established in 2008, which brings together 11 origin countries and seven Asian destination countries and aims to create a regional framework for regulating labor migration.

8United Nations. 2013. Total Migrant Stock at Mid-Year by Origin and Destination. United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. 9 https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/labor-migration-united-arab-emirates-challenges-and-responses 10UAE Ministry of Labor. 2007, The Protection of the Rights of the United Arab Emirates Annual Report.

224

JOURNAL OF CRITICAL REVIEWS

ISSN- 2394-5125 VOL 7, ISSUE 18, 2020

The UAE government has longstanding bilateral relationships with several labor-sending countries, one prominent example being the Philippines. Relations between the UAE and Philippine governments began in 1981 with the Protocol Agricultural Cooperation. However, bilateral cooperation on labor issues only materialised in 2007 with the introduction of a standardised contract and protection for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), particularly domestic workers, in the UAE. Over the past several years, civil society has also become increasingly engaged in reaching out to migrant workers in the UAE, as well as aspiring migrants. One example is the Lawyers for Human Rights International (LFHRI), an NGO based in India — the number one origin country of migrant workers in the UAE — which campaigns for protection of Indian workers overseas. Among the many aims of the organisation is to raise awareness about human-rights abuses, for example campaigning in 2010 for an investigation into claims that Emirati police tortured 17 Indian migrant workers who were facing the death penalty for allegedly murdering a Pakistani national.

4. Conclusion Migration to the Gulf makes up the third largest migration flow in the contemporary world . The analysis of Gulf migration is largely dominated by discussions of remittances and human rights. In this paper, I have sought to expand the discussion to consider the sociological and cultural aspects of Gulf migration. While it is certainly true that migrant remittances from the Gulf States have significantly kept millions of families in the Middle East, South Asia, and other migrant-sending regions afloat, these remittance flows should not obscure the other significant changes that happen in the lives of migrants and their families. The way forward is to acknowledge the role of the Indian migrants in building up the relationship between the two nations and also to devise new policies for a betterment and enhancement of the indomitable workforce.

5. References 1. Ravi Srivastava, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New, Delhi; S.K. Sasikumar, V. V. Giri National Labour Institute, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, An overview of migration in India, its impacts and key issues; Paper - Regional Conference on Migration, Development and Pro-Poor Policy Choices in Asia (2003) 2. Ministry of Labour (1991) Report of the National Commission on Rural Labour (NCRL Report). New Delhi: Government of India. 3. Mosse, D., Gupta, S., Mehta, M., Shah, V., Rees, J. and KRIBP Team (2002). Brokered livelihoods: Debt, labour migration and development in tribal western India. Journal of Development Studies, 38(5), pp.59–88 4. Sasikumar, S.K. (1995b). International labour migration statistics in India. Asian and Pacific Migration Journal, 4(4). 5. Zachariah, K.C., Kannan, K.P. and Irudaya Rajan, S. eds. (2002). Kerala’s Gulf Connection: CDS Studies on International Labour Migration from Kerala State in India. Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala: Centre for Development Studies. 6. State Planning Board (1998) Economic Review 1998. Thiruvananthapuram: Government of Kerala. 7. Nayyar, D. (1994). Migration, Remittances and Capital Flows: The Indian Experience. New Delhi: Oxford University Press. 8. Zachariah, K.C., Gopinathan Nair, P.R. and Irudaya Rajan, S. (2002c). Returning home: Problems and potentialities. In: Zachariah, K.C. et al eds. (2002) Kerala’s Gulf Connection CDS Studies on International Labour Migration from Kerala State in India. Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala: Centre for Development Studies. 9. K.C. Zachariah, S.Irudaya Rajan (2007). Working paper- Migration, remittances and employment, Short- term Trends and Long-term Implications, Centre for development studies, Kerala 10. Nair, Gopinathan P.R. (1986). Asian Migration to the Arab World. Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala: Centre for Development Studies. 11. K.C. Zachariah S.Irudaya Rajan (2007). Migration, Remittances and Employment, Short-term Trends and Long-term Implications, Migration Monitoring Survey 2007 by CDS, Trivandrum 12. Sasikumar, S.K. and Raju, S. (2000). Dynamics of Labour Market in Kerala. NLI Research Studies Series No.2. Noida, India: V.V.Giri National Labour Institute. 13. Abella, M.I. and Yogesh, A. eds. (1986). Middle East Interlude: Asian Workers Abroad. Bangkok: UNESCO Regional Office. 14. Mowli, C.V. (1992). Bridging the Gulf: India’s Manpower Migrations to West Asia. New Delhi: Sterling 15. Nair, Gopinathan P.R. (1988). Enhancement of Household Capacity in the Post-Migration Phase: A Case Study of India. Tokyo: United Nations University. 16. Sasikumar, S.K. (2000). Agency systems in overseas labour recruitment practices in India. Labour and Development, 6, December 17. Agunias, Dovelyn Rannveig. 2010. Migration's Middlemen: Regulating Recruitment Agencies in the Philippines-United Arab Emirates Corridor.” Washington, DC: Migration Policy Institute.

225

JOURNAL OF CRITICAL REVIEWS

ISSN- 2394-5125 VOL 7, ISSUE 18, 2020

18. Al Awad, Mouawiya. 2010. The Cost of Foreign Labor in the United Arab Emirates. Institute for Social & Economic Research, Zayed University. Working Paper No. 3.Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in Washington, DC. Labor Rights in the UAE. 19. Fargues, Philippe. 2011. Immigration without Inclusion: Non-nationals in Gulf State Nation Building. Presented at the 2011 Gulf Research Meeting (Workshop 12, Migration in the Gulf), University of Cambridge. 20. Gulf News. 2010. UAE pledges $5m to UN's Pakistan flood relief fund. Human Rights Watch. 2010. Slow Reform: Protection of Migrant Domestic Workers in Asia and the Middle East. New York: Human Rights Watch. 21. UAE: Proposed Law to Benefit Domestic Workers. May 11, 2012. 22. Nagraj, Aarti. Almost 10,000 Illegal Residents Exit UAE after Amnesty. Gulf Business. January 8, 2013. 23. Shah, Nasra and Philippe Fargues. 2012. The Socioeconomic Impacts of GCC Migration. Cambridge: Gulf Research Centre. 24. Sonmez, Sevil; Apostolopoulos, Yorghos; Tran, Diane; and Shantyana Rentrope. 2011. Human Rights and Health Disparities for Migrant Workers in the UAE. Journal of Health and Human Rights 13 (2): 1-19. 25. .UAE Ministry of Labor. 2007, The Protection of the Rights of the United Arab Emirates Annual Report. 26. UAE National Bureau of Statistics , 2013 27. United Nations. 2013. Total Migrant Stock at Mid-Year by Origin and Destination. United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. 28. World Bank. 2013. World Development Indicators – GDP.

226