About 13 million Indian citizens are working abroad, according to government data.
In Haryana, thousands of people lined up during a recruitment drive to send workers to Israel. In Israel, the attack on Gaza is entering its fourth month, causing a labor shortage.
Masons, painters, electricians, plumbers and some farmers said they were looking for work in Israel, some of them willing to risk going to conflict zones because they could earn up to five times as much a year as they earned in their home country. It is said that some people were infected.
“There is unemployment here, and that's why people want to leave,” said Rekaram, a mason and one of the workers gathered at a recruitment camp in Rohtak, 66 kilometers from the capital New Delhi.
“If we are destined to die, we can die here or we can die there. My hope is that we go and do a good job and take our time and come back.”
India, currently the world's most populous country with a population of 1.4 billion, has an urban unemployment rate of 6.6%, according to government data, but more than 17% of workers under the age of 29 are unemployed, with the rest on temporary employment. working as a laborer.
Despite economic growth of 7.3%, faster than the world, unemployment and underemployment remain a major concern for authorities.
India's foreign ministry spokesperson said on Thursday that the labor movement agreement with Israel was signed before the conflict erupted last year.
“The idea behind this agreement was to put in place institutional mechanisms to regulate migration and ensure that the rights of those who go there are protected,” said spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal. said.
“Israel's labor laws are very strict and robust. We are very conscious of our responsibility to provide security to our citizens abroad,” he told reporters.
This month, an Israeli business daily reported that the country plans to bring in around 70,000 foreign workers from countries such as China and India to shore up its construction sector, which has been halted since the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas operatives. It was reported that.
India's National Skill Development Corporation has issued an appeal in recent weeks for workers to live and work in Israel.
Camp recruiters declined to comment on the drive.
Vivek Sharma, a 28-year-old mason, said he was aware of the risks to Israel from the conflict, but would take the risk if it meant he could make more money.
“Yes, I know about the conflict, but you can make a lot of money in a short period of time,” he said, adding that a year of work in Israel could ultimately earn more than 1 million Indian rupees ($12,000). Vivek Sharma estimates that there is. Year.
“It may take at least five years to earn the same amount in India.”
According to government data, around 13 million Indian citizens are working abroad as laborers, professionals and professionals.
Israel and India signed an agreement last year that will allow more than 40,000 Indians to work in the Jewish state in care and construction.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
