New Delhi: India is rewriting the rules for how its citizens work and live abroad. The Ministry of External Affairs has released a new draft law — the Overseas Mobility (Facilitation and Welfare) Bill — which will replace the 40-year-old Emigration Act of 1983.
The proposed law comes at a time when global immigration rules are tightening, and thousands of Indians have been deported for entering or working abroad without proper papers. In 2025 alone, 1,703 Indian nationals have been deported from the United States, many on charter or even military flights.
The government says the new law will ensure that migration from India is safe, legal, and orderly — and that citizens working abroad are better protected.
Why Now?
The push for a new law comes against the backdrop of rising deportations and growing global restrictions. Several countries, including the US and the UK, have stepped up action against irregular migrants.
This year, hundreds of Indians were sent back from the US under the Trump 2.0 administration, some in harsh conditions aboard military aircraft. The images and stories sparked public and political concern.
Officials say the new Bill will build a system that encourages legal migration and protects Indian workers abroad from exploitation and fraud. It’s designed to move beyond the older focus on “emigration” — which mainly applied to Gulf workers — and instead address the broader idea of global mobility.
What the Bill Proposes
The Overseas Mobility Bill aims to manage the entire process of Indians going abroad for work — from recruitment to employment and, if needed, their return home.
It will set up a regulatory mechanism to ensure safe and transparent migration practices. Recruiters and agents will come under stricter oversight to prevent cheating or trafficking. The Bill also promises new systems to support workers overseas, including emergency help and welfare schemes.
The government says it wants to create a framework for “safe, legal, orderly and regular mobility for employment and stay abroad.”
Deportation and the “Dunki” Problem
One of the most important parts of the Bill deals with deportation and irregular migration. It formally defines a “returnee” as an Indian who comes back home after living abroad for at least 182 days — whether voluntarily or after being deported.
The Bill also aims to tackle the growing problem of illegal migration, including the so-called “dunki routes” — where people travel through multiple countries with the help of smugglers, often risking their lives to reach the US or Europe.
By creating official procedures for repatriation and return, the Bill seeks to ensure that those who are deported are treated with dignity and assisted upon arrival.
Rising Deportations
The scale of deportations shows why this issue has become so urgent.
Government data tabled in Parliament shows that 1,703 Indians have been deported from the US in 2025 — 333 in February on US military flights, 231 in March on charter flights, and another 300 in July through the US Department of Homeland Security.
Over the past five years, from 2020 to 2024, 5,541 Indians were deported from the US and 311 from the UK. In 2025 alone, 131 Indians have already been deported from the UK.
The numbers underline how vulnerable Indian migrants can be — especially those who travel through illegal or unregulated channels.
Welfare and Coordination
The Bill also focuses on welfare. It will establish an Overseas Mobility and Welfare Council, led by a senior official from the Ministry of External Affairs. The Council will include representatives from the Ministries of Skill Development and Labour and Employment, among others.
This council will coordinate migration policy, help enforce international labour agreements, and protect Indian workers’ rights abroad.
It will also oversee how India implements bilateral mobility agreements — the pacts that allow Indian workers to legally work abroad in sectors like construction, healthcare, agriculture, and care services.
A Modern Law for a Global Workforce
The new Bill is not just about rules — it’s about recognising India’s changing role in the global job market. Today, Indians work in every corner of the world — from nurses in the UK and Canada, to construction workers in the Gulf, and truck drivers in Europe.
The government says the new law will modernise India’s approach to migration — protecting workers, preventing exploitation, and ensuring that the country’s global workforce can move safely and legally.