Udupi: Ravindranath Shanbhag, president of Human Rights Protection Foundation (HRPF), said on Tuesday that it was necessary to create more awareness among semi-skilled persons going to foreign countries, including West Asia, on the proper and legal ways of getting employment and having proper documents for it with them.

He was speaking at a seminar on the “Role of government officials and NGOs in the protection of semi-skilled workers working in foreign countries”, organised by the NRI Hitarakshana Vedike at the Vaikunta Baliga College of Law, here.

Dr. Shanbhag said that as per the Emigration Act 1983, all the recruiting agencies which were sending workers to foreign countries, specially to the West Asian region, should compulsorily register with the Vigilance Cell headed by Deputy Commissioner of each district.

More than 3,000 workers go abroad every year through Overseas Recruiting Agencies (ORA). “But not even a single Overseas Recruiting Agency in the State was registered according to the official website of Ministry of External affairs. The Vigilance Cells were not functioning effectively in any of the districts,” he said.

He also cited the role of the district administration in designing a framework for the prevention of trafficking in human beings, false imprisonment, labour securities and other employment issues involving unskilled workers in various West Asian countries such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Muscat.

Dr. Shanbhag highlighted various instances of human rights violation, particularly in West Asia, starting from 1990, and how the HRPF was trying to help the victims.

Presiding over the function, T. Bhoobalan, Assistant Commissioner, addressed issues of NRI workers in West Asia and the role of NRI Welfare Committee in helping them. He said that semi-skilled workers did not know how to apply for passports and visas.