Over 20,000 youths from Punjab attempt irregular migration every year. In the past, irregular migration was confined to few caste groups but now it has spread to other caste groups also. These are some of the findings of the report ?Smuggling of Migrants from India to Europe and in particular to the UK: A Study on Punjab & Haryana.?
SC Aggarwal, chief secretary Punjab released the report during a workshop hosted in collaboration with the governments of Punjab and Haryana on Thursday. The study was conducted by United Nations office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
The report attributes irregular migration to high unemployment rate prevailing in the region. Potential irregular migrants consider other successful migrants as their role models Irregular migration is not considered a stigma amongst families in the two states.
Speaking on the occasion, Aggarwal said that the Punjab government has already taken stringent legal steps to check the illegal migration of the youth to foreign countries in search of greener pastures. The government has drafted legislation, Punjab Prevention of Human Smuggling Act 2010 to curb this problem. It has been with the Centre for its approval. Finally a law would be enacted in order to strengthen the hands of the police and the administration with a view to dealing firmly with issues of irregular human trafficking, said Aggarwal. He emphasised upon the need of generating more employment avenues for the youth within the country.
The report says that there is a perception among migrants that once one is able to reach a destination country, chances of getting caught and deported is remote and once a family is able to send someone abroad legally or illegally, status of the family increases. Social networks also laed to chain migration.
Haryana proposes to set up migrant resource centre
The Haryana government has proposed to set up a migrants resource centre with the help of International Organization for Migration (IOM) to facilitate people willing to work abroad. State chief secretary Urvashi Gulati said the government had also sent a proposal to the ministry of overseas Indian affairs to set up pre-departure orientation centres at Panchkula and Gurgaon for the prospective migrants. Enlisting the steps taken to curb irregular migration in Haryana, mainly prevalent in Ambala, Karnal, Kurukshetra and Kaithal adjoining Punjab, she said an overseas placement bureau had been set up in the state for assisting the youth in overseas employment. The Bureau set up in 2007 provides an Expert Immigration guide to cater to the growing demands for skilled and unskilled Labour, technicians, IT professionals, engineers and doctors in foreign countries. The Cell functions as a blockage against illegal activities in this field in various parts of the state.