Hyderabad: The Centre says more than 45,000 migrant workers from Telangana are working overseas, according to a written reply in the Lok Sabha by Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh. The statement came in response to a question from Khammam MP Ramasahayam Raghuram Reddy during the monsoon session of Parliament, who sought state-wise statistics on overseas migrant workers and measures for their safety.
The minister said the Ministry collects complete data through the e-Migrate portal on Indian workers holding Emigration Check Required (ECR) passports and employed in 18 designated countries. As per this year’s figures, there were 16,06,964 Indian workers in such countries, with the Telangana count rising from 2,984 in 2020 to 45,213 in 2025.
Telangana migrant workers abroad cross 45,000
On worker protection, Singh said embassies and consulates remain ready to respond to emergencies involving migrants from Telangana and other states. He listed email, emergency phone lines, WhatsApp, and social media as contact points, and noted the presence of Indian help centres in Dubai, Riyadh, Jeddah, and Kuala Lumpur. These offices also engage with employers and inspect workplaces.
For women migrant workers, the minister said only authorised recruiting agencies may place them in overseas jobs. He added that the Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF) is used to provide financial and legal aid, and to repatriate citizens in distress.