Curbs on emigration to Bahrain, Yemen

Arjun Raghunath
The New Indian Express
19 Mar 2011

THIRUVANATHAPURAM: The Central Government has imposed restrictions on emigrations to strife-torn Bahrain and Yemen. The Centre had earlier imposed a similar restriction on emigrations to Libya.

The Overseas Indian Affairs Department has directed the Protectors of Emigrants to impose a temporary ban on emigrations to Bahrain and Yemen for one month.

''We have received the communication in this regard the other day and hence, we are not giving any emigration clearance to these countries these days,'' Protector of Emigrants in Thiruvananthapuram Pradeep A said.

The Centre had earlier issued a twomonth ban on emigrations to Libya.

However, though the Centre had imposed a ban on granting emigration clearance, it is not applicable to those who do not require emigration clearance. Emigration clearance is now applicable only to those who had not passed SSLC. Hence, many are still going to the troubleaffected West Asian countries, sources said.

The emigration officials at airports are briefing those going to these countries about the situation prevailing there. ''We are asking those going to the troubled countries to postpone their journey until the situation gets back to normal. However, many are forced to go in order to retain their jobs,'' said Port Registration Officer at the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport, Vimal.

Mystery over the death

Meanwhile, mystery shrouds the death of Stephan Abraham, of Pathanamthitta district, in Bahrain on Wednesday. Though the initial reports suggested that Stephan suffered bullet injury when security forces fired at agitators from helicopters, the company authorities are suspicious about this.

M D Mathew, chief executive officer of Almoayyed Contracting Firm, where Stephan was working as a security official, said that though he had taken the statements of other workers about the incident, they did not mention about the presence of any security personnel or firing from the helicopter in the locality at the time of the incident. ''It is suspected that the bullets had entered the room through the windows. But the source of the bullet remains mysterious. Hence, we are seeking a detailed probe into the incident,'' Mathew told 'Express' over phone from Bahrain.

He said that the body of Stephan would be brought back by Sunday. The Almoayyed firm will take care of the family of Stephan, Mathew said. Stephan, who was earlier serving in the Indian Army, had also taken part in the Kargil war. He had joined the security wing of Almoayyed, which is a leading firm in Bahrain, around oneandahalf years ago.