From Rescue to Reintegration: Rethinking India's Diaspora Policy
India's people are its greatest asset. Whether they leave by choice or necessity, and whether they return in hope or despair, they deserve more than rescue
India's repeated evacuation efforts reflect a maturing foreign policy, but they also reveal systemic blind spots in migration governance. In recent years, India has conducted several high-profile evacuation missions to rescue its citizens stranded in war-torn or crisis-hit countries. From Operation Ganga in Ukraine to Operation Kaveri in Sudan, and more recently, efforts in Israel and Gaza amid conflict, these missions have drawn praise for their speed and coordination.
However, they also raise deeper questions: Why are so many Indians regularly caught in the crosshairs of global conflicts? What compels them to be there in such large numbers — and why is their return always reactive, not planned? From students and professionals to migrant labourers, India's citizens abroad are increasingly vulnerable to geopolitical instability. It is time India evolves from a rescue-centric mindset to a strategy of long-term engagement, reintegration, and risk mitigation.
The Indian diaspora is among the largest in the world — over 18 million strong. But it is far from homogenous. While much attention is paid to high-skilled NRIs in the US or UK, a large portion of Indians abroad are low- or semi-skilled workers in the Gulf, West Asia, and Africa. Another growing cohort includes Indian students in countries like Ukraine, China, Russia, and smaller Eastern European nations drawn by more affordable medical education.
These groups are often the most vulnerable. They live and work in politically volatile regions, lack robust legal protections, and are sometimes under informal or exploitative contracts. When crises erupt — be it war, civil unrest, or natural disaster — they find themselves with little safety net.
Yet the scale of that return has largely been forgotten in policymaking circles. No comprehensive national framework emerged for their reintegration, skill mapping, or future redeployment. Most simply disappeared back into informal economies or sought to leave again once restrictions were lifted.
Policy Needs to Move Beyond Symbolism
Mapping Vulnerable Citizens Abroad: A real-time, dynamic database of Indians abroad — especially workers and students in conflict-prone regions — must be created and maintained by embassies in coordination with the MEA and the Ministry of Labour.
Institutionalise Returnee Support: Many returnees — especially during Covid or from war zones — come back with trauma, debt, and few job prospects. A national reintegration scheme should include psycho-social support, job matching, upskilling, and short-term income support.
Strengthen Bilateral Labour Agreements: Much of India's labour migration happens via informal channels. India must urgently expand formal labour mobility partnerships that include insurance, safety guarantees, and exit provisions during emergencies.
Protect Indian Students Abroad: Affordable education should not mean unsafe education. India must scrutinize the quality and safety of institutions abroad. Embassies should proactively engage on issues such as housing, curriculum, and student wellbeing.
Diaspora Policy That Includes the Vulnerable: India's diaspora engagement often celebrates high-net-worth individuals and global CEOs. But the real face of the diaspora includes nurses in Israel, masons in Dubai, students in Kharkiv, and drivers in Lebanon. Our policy must reflect this diversity.
Launch Mission Samarth: India must move from reactive rescue operations to a long-term strategy of migration governance. A national-level initiative — Mission Samarth — could be launched to attract, retain, and reintegrate skilled Indian professionals abroad. Modelled after Startup India or Skill India, this mission should be steered by a multi-ministerial task force under the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).
Its components may include:
One-Stop Portal for Returnees: A digital platform to streamline credential recognition, job matching, tax clarity, and housing assistance — reducing bureaucratic and logistical friction.
Reverse Talent Fellowships: Structured, funded programs to bring back Indian-origin scientists, researchers, and policy professionals for 3–5 years in academia or public systems.
Global Mobility Taskforce: A coordinated effort involving MEA, Labour, Education, state governments, and Indian missions abroad to institutionalise protections, skill portability, and crisis preparedness.
Inclusion of Experts from Outside Government: The mission should involve experts from civil society, academia, diaspora networks, and retired senior civil servants to ensure innovation and credibility.
Reintegration is Nation-Building
When lakhs of Indians return home due to crisis, they bring with them not just hardship but also skills, global exposure, and aspirations. Ignoring them is a loss not only to them but to India's development story. Reintegration is not welfare — it is nation-building.
A Call for Coordinated Governance
Migration policy must move beyond the silos of the Ministry of External Affairs or Labour. A high-level inter-ministerial task force — possibly anchored in NITI Aayog — should develop an integrated migration and reintegration strategy, in partnership with states, industries, and civil society.
Conclusion
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Every time a conflict breaks out, India scrambles to bring its people home. But between those headlines lie deeper systemic issues — unregulated migration, lack of support for returnees, and a policy blind spot that treats them as temporary guests rather than long-term contributors. India's people are its greatest asset. Whether they leave by choice or necessity, and whether they return in hope or despair, they deserve more than rescue — they deserve respect, reintegration, and recognition.
Dhiraj Kumar Srivastava is a former civil servant, He has served as Resident Commissioner, Bikaner House, and as Secretary to the Chairperson of the National Advisory Council, under PMO. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18's views.
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First Published:
June 24, 2025, 16:35 IST
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