A second Migrant Resource Centre (MRC) has opened in India to help potential migrants make an informed decision on what they do before they go abroad.

Set up by IOM in partnership with the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs (MOIA) and the state government of Andhra Pradesh in Hyderabad as part of an IOM programme funded by the European Commission on facilitating and legal migration between Asia and the European Union, the centre in the Indian city of Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh will inform potential migrants about various work opportunities in the European Union and on entry requirements.

Focusing on disseminating information on legal, organized and humane migration, the centre will also alert potential migrants on the risks and dangers of irregular migration. As well as being a drop-in centre, the MRC also has a telephone helpline with a toll-free number for people to call for information and advice.

This second centre in India follows the successful establishment of the first, in the Indian state of Kerala in 2008, with the MOIA wishing to initiate more MRCs across the country and at district level.

Labour migration from India is of increasing importance. An estimated 25 million Indians now live abroad according to official estimates, sending more remittances back home than any other migrant diaspora – US$52 billion in 2008. One study estimates that by 2030, Indians and Chinese workers will represent 40 per cent of the global workforce.

For more information, please contact:

Nitin Kumar
IOM New Delhi
E-mail: nkumar@iom.int