INDIA'S MEMBERSHIP OF THE INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR MIGRATION – (IOM)

The Union Cabinet today gave its approval to obtain full membership of International Organisation for Migration (IOM).

India's membership of IOM will enable us to engage more actively with this intergovernmental organization dealing with the issue of migration in areas of interest to us, particularly those relating to improving conditions for Indian workers abroad.

Background

International Organization for Migration (IOM), Geneva, was established in 1951 as the Intergovernmental Committee for European Migration. It has 122 states as members, with 92 observers, including 18 countries.

India obtained an observer status at IOM in 1991 after the Iraq invasion on Kuwait when IOM helped to airlift several of our nationals. IOM was of much help when some 300 Indian nationals had been stranded off the coast of Maurtania and in another incident, supported 59 stranded Indian migrants in Kamsar in Guinea Conakry and facilitated their safe repatriation.

The Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs as the Ministry in-charge of all emigration from India to overseas countries and the return of emigrants is also engaged with IOM in a process known as the Colombo process on Labour Migration.

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