India has advised its citizens not to travel to Iran and Israel until "further notice, in view of the prevailing situation in the region."
“All those who are currently residing in Iran or Israel are requested to get in touch with Indian Embassies there and register themselves,” the MEA advisory said. It added: “They are also requested to observe utmost precautions about their safety and restrict their movements to the minimum.”
The advisory comes at a time when thousands of Indian workers are heading to Israel for construction work.
After the October 7 attacks, Israel suspended work permits for thousands of Palestinians and Arab migrants, who earlier made up the majority of the country's workforce. This triggered a massive labour shortage, which Indian blue-collar workers are now filling.
Also Read: MEA advises Indians to avoid non-essential travel to Iran and Israel
In October, Israeli construction companies reportedly requested their government to allow them to hire up to 1,00,000 Indian workers to replace Palestinians whose work licenses were suspended after the Gaza offensive began.
In December, the Haryana government advertised 10,000 positions for construction workers in Israel, including 3,000 posts for carpenters and ironworkers, 2,000 for floor tile fitters, and 2,000 for plasterers.
The advertisement stated the salary for the jobs would be around 6,100 shekels, or approximately $1,625 (approximately Rs 1,35,868.36), a month – in a state where the per capita income is around $300 (Rs 25,000) a month.
In the same month, Uttar Pradesh also published a similar advertisement for 10,000 workers, which attracted hundreds of applicants.
Also Read: First group of Indian workers arrive in Israel to boost construction industry
Israeli officials came to India to interview the workers later.
While the Gaza War has been cited as the reason behind recruiting Indian workers, the hiring plan was underway well in advance.
In May 2023, Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen signed an agreement with his Indian counterpart, S Jaishankar, allowing 42,000 Indian construction workers to migrate for work.
However, it is not just blue-collar workers vying for jobs that pay much better than jobs in India. Scores of young, educated Indians are also applying for jobs in Israel amid the war. The average minimum wage in India is Rs 176 per day for an eight-hour shift.
According to a 2023 report by a leading private university, India’s unemployment rate among college graduates under 25 years of age reached a staggering 42 per cent after the pandemic.
The plan to send Indian workers to Israel did not go down well with many labour unions and organisations. In November, 10 of India’s biggest trade unions issued a strongly-worded statement urging the government not to send Indian workers to Israel amid the ongoing war on Gaza.
The Construction Workers Federation of India, another major union, also opposed “any attempt to send the poor construction workers of our country to Israel to overcome its shortage of workers and in any way support its genocidal attacks on Palestine."
There was an uproar on social media when India issued a travel advisory cautioning Indians to refrain from travelling to Iran and Israel, given the rising tensions. According to US intel, Iran is poised to attack Israel within 24 hours as a retaliation to Israeli strikes on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, Syria, that killed seven high-ranking Iranian officials, including two generals.
In the past, there have been reported instances of Indian workers being kidnapped or killed during conflict. In March 2018, the Indian government admitted that 39 Indian workers were killed after they were kidnapped by the ISIL (ISIS) armed group in Iraq.
A group of 46 Indian nurses were freed in July 2014 by ISIL after more than a week in captivity.
As tensions escalate, risking the lives of millions, a fundamental question emerges: What holds greater importance—basic sustenance or survival itself?
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