The Middle East NRIs Association (MENA), which is leading the campaign, has also undertaken a pilot study to ascertain remedial measures to present to the Indian government. Addressing a press conference at the local Riyadh Palace Hotel here, MENA President Akhtar-ul-Islam Siddiqui called on the Indian government to impose stringent measures to check on the dubious operations of recruiting agencies back home.

The call was made after Saudi Minister of Labor Abdulwahed Al-Humaid urged New Delhi to raise awareness among Indian workers before they are deployed to the Kingdom. The press briefing was also attended by Mohammed Quaiser, president of Tanzeem Hum Hindustani (THH), who is also MENA’s secretary-general.

Siddiqui and Quaiser also spoke about other problems faced by Indian expatriates in general. On the question of proposed reforms in the recruitment and labor sectors, Siddiqui said the Indian government must reform its labor market policies if the country is to reduce poverty. 

He, however, praised the Indian Embassy in Riyadh, which has already taken some concrete steps in the area of recruitment. India’s labor force is presently growing at 2.5 percent annually, against a rise in employment of 2.3 percent every year.