Government in the process of developing a NoRKA police station: Kerala Chief Minister

A strong and effective immigration law is the need of the hour because for all expatriates, safety would take primacy over any other concerns, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said. He was speaking at the valedictory session of the fifth Loka Kerala Sabha here on Saturday.

He added that this has remained a challenge because the responsibility for enacting a strong immigration legislation rests with the Union government.

It was after prolonged demands that the draft Emigration Bill, 2019 was released, followed by a second draft in 2021. In 2025, the draft Overseas Mobility (Facilitation and Welfare) Bill was published to replace the Emigration Act of 1983, incorporating substantial changes. However, though the new Bill is expected to modernise regulations to promote safe migration for Indian workers and protect them abroad, there are widespread concerns whether the proposed Bill adequately safeguards the interests and security of ordinary workers migrating overseas, Mr. Vijayan said.

The Chief Minister also criticised the Union government for its ‘serious inaction” in introducing the Bill in Parliament. He said that the State government has been repeatedly drawing the attention of the Centre to the urgent need for enacting the legislation on migration.

The Chief Minister, responding to various suggestions that had come up during the discussion at the Loka Kerala Sabha, said that fraudulent practices such as generating fake A1, A2, B1, and B2 language proficiency certificates and fake recruitment drives, especially in Austria and Germany, seemed to have become quite widespread and that it was a matter of serious concern for the government.

In 2024 alone, 1,300 cases were registered regarding these bogus operations. The government wanted people to be alert against such frauds and will intensify awareness drives on this.

Mr. Vijayan said that the State government was in the process of establishing a dedicated NoRKA police station, where all expatriates can directly register an FIR.

Suggestions

Among other suggestions that came up at the Loka Kerala Sabha and to which the Chief Minister gave a positive response include a demand for the implementation of health insurance coverage for returnee expatriates. Mr. Vijayan said that the government would examine the feasibility of including it under the NoRKA Care scheme.

Steps will also be taken through the NoRKA Institute of Languages to expand foreign language training beyond German. Diaspora projects will be implemented at the grama panchayat and ward levels through Pravasi Mission, which is scheduled to be inaugurated next month. Rehabilitation of returnees and resolution of their financial difficulties will also be addressed under the Mission.

Regarding facilitating investment opportunities for expatriates in the State, the Chief Minister said that the expatriates should make use of the Sherpa online platform for the same. The Student Migration Portal which was launched on Friday should be made use of for proper counselling regarding higher education abroad.

The Chief Minister also announced the constitution of a high-power committee to address issues concerning the safety of Non-Resident Keralites (NRKs). The committee, which will include the Chief Secretary, the Home Secretary, and the State Police Chief, will meet once every month to review the situation.

A standing committee has been appointed to examine the proposals submitted by expatriates at the Loka Kerala Sabha and to submit a report.

The committee will include expatriate representatives from various countries, representatives from different Indian States, returnee expatriates, and NoRKA directors, with the NoRKA department Secretary serving as an ex-officio member.

The three-day Loka Kerala Sabha, held in the capital, witnessed the participation of over 500 expatriate delegates from 125 countries.