Kerala Clinic For Migrant Workers Featured In WHO List

The Migration Bulletin is a monthly round-up that compiles migration news from across various publications. In this month's bulletin, we track clinics focusing on migrant workers' health finding a place in WHO list, the Singaporean government honouring Indian migrant workers for their bravery, five Indian migrant workers going missing in Niger and much more.

Kerala Clinic For Migrant Workers Featured In WHO List 

The Bandhu Clinic, a mobile clinic established with the aim to provide migrant workers with affordable and primary healthcare services in the Ernakulam district in Kerala, has made it to the World Health Organization’s list of 140 global experiences promoting refugee and migrant health, The Indian Express reported on May 8, 2025. 

The ‘Bandhu Clinic’ is a mobile healthcare initiative launched by the National Health Mission and the Centre for Migration and Inclusive Development (CMID) in 2020, providing services by tackling barriers such as time, location and language. It was selected for its screening and vaccination process during the COVID-19 pandemic among inter-state migrants, and two of the clinics from India were on the list. 

There are two functional Bandhu clinics in the district and they visit various locations covering the vulnerable among migrant workers, including brick kiln workers, migrant women in fish processing units, footloose migrant labourers and migrant families. They aim to provide quality primary healthcare services consistently at a location and time convenient to migrant workers. 

These clinics cover 40,000 migrants across locations, with one clinic providing 15,000 services in a year to the most vulnerable migrant workers with an operational cost of around Rs. 250. 

“The mobile clinics visit the locations to cover some of the most vulnerable among the migrant workers, including brick kiln workers, migrant women in fish processing units, migrant fishers, nomadic communities, footloose migrant labourers and migrant families,” Benoy Peter, director, Centre for Migration and Inclusive Development (CMID), the implementing agency of the project was quoted as saying. 

The clinic’s selection under the WHO list was seen as the success of the initiative by officials and NHM, and the CMID plans to add more clinics to cover the  population in the district.

Indian migrant workers honoured in Singapore for saving children and adults trapped in the blaze

The Singaporean government has honoured four Indian migrant workers for rescuing children from a fire at a shophouse, in which 16 minors and six adults were trapped. The rescued victims included Andhra Pradesh Dy CM’s son Mark Shankar Pawanovich, reported The Indian Express, on April 12, 2025.

Reportedly, there were 22 casualties, 16 children aged between six and ten, and six adults aged between 23 and 55. 

Inderjit Singh, Subramanian Saranraj, Nagarajan Anbarasan and Sivasami Vijayaraj received the Friends Of ACE coins from the Manpower Ministry's Assurance, Care and Engagement (ACE) Group, which looks after the well-being and protection of migrant workers, for their quick thinking and bravery. “Their quick thinking and bravery made all the difference… Thank you for reminding us of the power of community in times of need,” the ministry was quoted as saying by Friday weekly Tabla! (there is no direct link to the tabla magazine)

The rescuers used scaffolding and a ladder to save the wailing children from the Tomato Cooking, which runs camps and cooking classes. They were joined by other migrant workers working near the shophouse. The staff at the shophouse placed children on the ledge  and migrant workers formed a human chain to carry them down.

There were no safety harnesses for the migrant workers to rescue, and the shophouse had no fire safety measures in place with unauthorised works involving erection of partitions within the premises. Ten children were saved by migrant workers before the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF)’s arrival.

Five migrant workers from Jharkhand abducted; families seek help from the government 

Families of five migrant workers who were allegedly kidnapped from their site camp in Niger have sought help from the Indian government for their rescue and quick return to India. 

According to an Indian Express report dated April 28, five migrant workers hailing from Jharkhand migrated in January 2024 to Niger for employment opportunities at the Kalpataru Power Transmission Limited Company in and have not returned home since then.

Reportedly, this incident took place on the afternoon of April 25 and those kidnapped included Sanjay Mahato, Faljit Mahato, Raju Mahato and Chandrika Mahato of Dondlo Panchayat, and Uttam Mahato of Mundro Panchayat.

Other migrant workers who worked with the victims stated that local groups abducted six, including a local at gunpoint, after killing 12 security personnel deployed by the government.

The migrant workers' families in Jharkhand sought help from the government for safety and return to India.

Push for reforms to protect migrant workers gains momentum 

The labour activists and officials have called for immediate reforms to better track and protect migrant workers. The demand comes after it came to light that there is a stark discrepancy between the 79,653 registered in the state labour department and the trade unions’ estimate of 20 lakh inter-state workers, according to the Times of India report, dated April 19, 2025.

Ritesh Kumar, 35, a migrant worker from Bihar, was accused of killing a five-year-old and allegedly raping her. According to the Hubbali-Dharwad police, he was working in Karnataka’s Hubbali was working in hotels and construction sites for the past three months and lured a child with chocolates on April 11, 2025. The five-year-old girl was playing outside the house where her mother worked as a househelp. The issue escalated when a migrant worker was killed while fleeing from the police, leading to massive local protests demanding the removal of migrant workers involved in serious crimes like rape and dacoity. Parameshwara, the home minister, stated that he would meet labour minister Santosh Lad to discuss the issue and review the state's monitoring system. 

Labour department officials admitted that there is a lack of data for a large portion of the workforce in the unorganised sector. Greater Bengaluru Development Authority (GBDA) chairman GN Nataraju raised concerns over the rising population of migrant workers in Benguluru’s Bidadi and other areas, and asked the police to find a mechanism to keep track of them.

Trade unions explain that absence of data on migrant workers was a challenge for the government during Covid, and employers often don't register to escape providing mandatory facilities such as accommodation, medical care and protection.

According to the e-Shram database for the registry of unorganised workers, over one crore people are employed in agriculture, construction and domestic workers, and a significant number of workers are migrants. 

Kerala unveils ‘Jyothi’ initiative to educate migrant workers’ children

The Kerala Government launched “Jyothi” on May 7, 2025, a program ensuring access to education for the children of the migrant workers. It aims to bring  children aged three to six into anganwadis and those aged six and above in the public schools, according to a Deccan Herald report dated May 7, 2025.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan stated in a programme in Ernakulam celebrating the four years of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government at KINFRA convention centre at Kakkanad, that the local self-government institutions have to maintain academic records laying out the academic status of migrant worker’s children and initiate remedial measures as required. He added that teachers and school institutions should visit houses of migrant workers with local self-government groups, and closely work and track if children are attending school daily. 

He added that the LDF government achieved an all-round development in various sectors including health, education and industry. 

The report states that over 35 lakh workers contribute to various sectors, and migrant workers are of significant importance, many living with their families. The initiative aims to focus on fostering cultural and educational inclusion. 

The CMO's statement emphasises improving migrant workers' welfare and empowerment, reaffirming the Kerala Government’s commitment to inclusive development.

Advocacy groups warn of more preventable deaths of migrant workers in Saudi Arabia 

Human Rights Watch and FairSquare, two advocacy groups working for the rights of people worldwide, released the results of their respective investigations on the preventable deaths of migrant workers from electrocution, road accidents, falling from heights and more while working in Saudi Arabia, reported Mid-day in its May 15, 2025 edition. 

These labourers were from various countries, including India, Bangladesh and Nepal. Due to distortion in reports of deaths and lack of investigation, families were prevented from receiving their compensation and knowing about how their loved ones died.

The rights advocacy groups warn of more preventable deaths in coming years. According to Human Rights Watch, a Bangladeshi worker died from electrocution while working. His employer allegedly withheld the body and told the family that they would be compensated only if they agreed to a local burial. Another family was compensated after an alleged 15 years of waiting by the Saudi government. Fair Square looked into the death cases of 17 Nepali contractors in Saudi Arabia over 18 months of period and thousands unexplained cases probably of the low-waged foreign workers. 

Saudi Arabia’s plans for the 2034 World Cup are facing criticism due to concerns about potential abuse of migrant workers and wage theft associated with its Vision 2030 initiative. Unlike Qatar in 2022, Saudi Arabia does not have oversight bodies like the Supreme Committee. FIFA has defended the selection of Saudi Arabia as the host, highlighting the country's commitments to enhancing labour protections and its collaboration with the United Nations.

Compiled by Mansi Bhaktwani