Telengana is among the first of India’s states to draft a policy on labour migration, recognizing the contribution that migration and Non-Resident Indians make to the State. To gather inputs to the policy, a workshop was held by the Government of Telengana, the Telengana Overseas Manpower Company (TOMCOM) and the International Organization for Migration. The ILO was invited to provide inputs in a number of areas, on international instruments and experiences in the region on developing national labour migration policies, and on irregular migration challenges and responses. The ILO also chaired a session on recruitment.
The key themes to emerge from the discussions included skills development of skills recognition for migrant workers, and creating a brand built on the reputation of Telengana workers. The considerable potential of engaging with the NRI community was recognized, in terms of linking NRIs and skilled workers with the protection of low and semi-skilled workers in the Gulf States, as well as investing development programmes in the State. The American Telengana Asssociation have already produced a set of policy recommendations and have resources to support information campaigns. There was discussion about the need for the State policy to ensure that women have opportunities to migrate into decent work, and that their rights are protected, including domestic workers. Cutting across all of these themes was the call for improved data.
The ILO has shared its presentations with the State Government and indicated a willingness to provide further support on the development of the policy. The ILO will remain in contact with State officials, TOMCOM and IOM in this regard.
