The paper addresses issues related to the promotion and sustenance of international labour migration from India on the one hand and protection of migrant workers on the other. It reveals that labour migration flows from India since 1990s have not only registered impressive growth in respect of the traditional destinations like the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Canada and the Gulf countries but also have diversified and expanded to newly emerging migrant destinations in continental Europe, Australasia, East Asia and South-East Asia. The paper observes that a pro-active migration policy framework will further cement these trends.

The paper provides a detailed evaluation of the Emigration Act, 1983, the most important policy instrument governing the migration of Indian workers for overseas employment on a contractual basis. It argues that that the Act needs to be reoriented so that it provides a legislative basis for better protection and welfare of the migrants on the one hand and for the active promotion of international labour migration from India on the other. It notes that the Act needs to be modified to check the activities of the unscrupulous agents and to make it harder for agents to cheat Indian workers who are keen on migrating overseas for employment. The grievance redressal system must also be made more effective. It observes that apart from strengthening and reorienting the Emigration Act, the system to monitor its implementation should be strengthened. The paper further highlights the need for international labour migration policy to provide increasing emphasis to promotion and facilitation of external labour flows from India and not be limited only to regulating and protecting functions of the State.