The recurrent efforts to evacuate India’s citizens from danger zones indicate a significant evolution in the country’s foreign policy, albeit with evident gaps in its handling of migration. Over the past few years, an array of evacuation operations, from crisis-ridden countries, have served to underline India’s capacity to swiftly and effectively respond to its citizens’ needs in conflict areas. As cases in point, Operation Ganga in Ukraine and Operation Kaveri in Sudan have been applauded for their efficiency, strategic planning, and execution.
However, fresh hurdles are being posed for India due to rising geopolitical instability in the Middle East, particularly in Israel and Iran. Aiming adequate attention at the ongoing hostilities in Gaza, southern Lebanon, and Iran – home to a considerable population of Indian-origin, primarily Kashmiris – have become an absolute necessity. The precarious conditions have necessitated multiple rescue operations and emergency consular interventions.
Among those requiring aid and safe passage out are students, manual laborers, and individuals there on religious trips, all residing under the threat to their security. While these efforts shed light on India’s growing competency in diplomatic orchestration and crisis management, they concurrently unearth some persistent concerns. These include understanding the reasons for the large number of Indian citizens frequently appearing in conflict zones around the globe and why their evacuations seem to be more reactive than strategic.
From scholars and professionals to overseas laborers and religious visitors, Indian nationals residing abroad are becoming more susceptible to geopolitical disturbances. This raises the need for India to transition from a focus solely on emergency evacuations to a more comprehensive approach. This new strategy should emphasize extended involvement, systematic reintegration, and risk abatement.
Comprising a staggering 18 million individuals, the Indian diaspora stands as one of the largest globally. However, this community is far from being monolithic. While there is a significant focus on highly skilled Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) residing in countries like the USA or UK, another significant portion of the Indian diaspora includes low- to semi-skilled laborers in the Gulf, West Asia, and Africa.
A notable and increasing population consists of Indian students in countries like Ukraine, China, Russia, and smaller Eastern European nations. The affordable medical education these countries offer attracts these students. Often, these groups are the most prone to vulnerabilities, living and laboring amidst political turbulence devoid of strong legal shields, occasionally under informal or even exploitative contracts.
When crises break out, such as war, political upheaval, or natural disasters, they find themselves lacking a secure net for protection. About 1.8 crore Indians were driven to return to their home states, a move necessitated not just by international predicaments but also crises within India during the pandemic. This massive return was largely overlooked when shaping policies, resulting in the absence of an all-encompassing national protocol for their reintegration, skill profiling, or future redeployment.
Most of these returnees ended up disappearing back into circumstantial undocumented economies or planning to venture out again as soon as restrictions were loosened. While India’s rescue endeavors are certainly commendable and crucial, they should not act as replacement for sustainable policy frameworks.
In an effort to address this, a proposal can be laid out: the establishment of a timely, dynamic database mapping the location and status of Indian citizens abroad; specifically, those who are workers, students, and pilgrims in unstable regions. Such a database must be created and updated by India’s missions abroad, in partnership with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the Ministry of Labour.
A significant number of returnees, particularly those escaping conflict zones, arrive back home carrying the baggage of trauma, inescapable debt, and limited job opportunities. Therefore, a national reintegration program must be developed. This program should embrace psycho-social backing, job pairing, skills development, and provision for transient income support.
To ensure the comprehensive implementation of these proposals, a concerted mechanism must be put in place. This mechanism should involve MEA, Labour, Education, state governments, and Indian missions abroad to institutionalize protection measures, skills portability, and emergency readiness.
Neglecting this important population subset would equate to more than individual loss, translating into a strategic setback in India’s developmental trajectory. It is essential to realize that reintegration is not merely a welfare scheme, but a crucial contribution to nation-building.
The responsibility of a successful migration policy does not fall into the administrative laps of MEA or Labour alone. Instead, a high-level inter-ministerial task force, potentially guided by NITI Aayog, should be tasked with formulating an integrated migration and reintegration strategy in collaboration with state governments, industries, stakeholders of the diaspora, and civil society.
Indian citizens, whether they depart from home voluntarily or out of compulsion, serve as the nation’s most invaluable global assets. Beyond merely rescue efforts, they are entitled to the admiration, reintegration, and acknowledgment of their contribution to spreading the essence of the nation across borders.
These are vital necessities, not only to match their tremendous sacrifices but also to uphold their dignity and ensure their struggles and efforts act as a beacon of resilience and hope for those who may follow in their steps. Thus, the nation must make it clear that it truly values and respects its citizens, whether at home or across the globe.
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