Nov. 27 – The government is in final stages to establish a ‘Return and Resettlement Fund’ initially for returning overseas Indian workers from Gulf countries who have been laid off because of the global crisis.

“My ministry is working towards establishing a fund that will provide financial security to those workers who have lost their jobs and returned home,” Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi was quoted by PTI during a two-day annual conference of the Heads of Missions.

The Gulf countries have been severely hit by the financial crisis leading to many companies cutting employment. According to Ravi, he has asked the Heads of Missions to take strong action to root out irregular migration, adding that the ministry has constituted a high-level inter-ministerial core group to develop effective measures to combat it.