Use ICWF to bring back poorly paid Indians: HC

Centre told to consider pleas of wives of four Keralites

The Kerala High Court on Wednesday directed the Central government to consider representations given by the wives of four Keralites and other poorly paid Indians stranded in the Gulf countries seeking repatriation using the Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF).

The court asked the Centre to take a call on the pleas of those who were found eligible to get the benefits of the fund and repatriate the most deserving using the fund.

The directive came on a writ petition filed by Jisha of Kozhikode and two others whose husbands were employed in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar respectively. According to them, their husbands were jobless now following the outbreak of COVID-19 and subsequent lockdown. In fact, they were paid poorly when they were employed. Now, they were in dire straits.

The petitioners pointed out that their husbands could not fly back during the Vande Bharat Mission as they did not have money to pay for the tickets. In fact, only affluent persons were able to book tickets in flights operated under the Vande Bharat Mission.

The petitioners said as their husbands belonged to the lower income group, they were eligible to get the benefits of the ICWF established in 2009. The fund was meant for providing financial assistance to overseas Indian workers and unskilled labourers.

Persons belonging to the lower income group could seek financial assistance from the fund in exigencies such as emergency medical care, legal assistance, air travel, and death. The fund was utilised to protect the workers when sponsors were either unable or unwilling to bear the expenses.