According to a study entitled 'Migration of Women Workers from South Asia to the Gulf' by UN Women and the V V Giri Labour Institute, that analysed the situation in five countries of South Asia, India and Pakistan together account for 71% of international female migrants from South Asia to the Gulf countries. 2.7 million were from India and around 1.9 million came from Pakistan. The six major receiving countries were Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

A majority of these women migrate alone as domestic workers to support their families. The gulf region's demand for female domestic workers is high.

The lead author of the study said the impact of the migration of women workers is much broader than its immediate economic aspect. There is great potential of such migration to bring forth the social and political empowerment of women, and reshape gender power relations.

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The Indian government has drawn up a plan to track suspicious financial dealings of NRIs, in cooperation with respective foreign governments. The Indian Revenue Service said some of the leading Gulf cities such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain and Doha are major financial centres that are increasingly attracting Indian money that is leaving Swiss banks and in many cases these funds reach the Gulf cities in the form of seemingly legitimate investments.

The government has already posted eight senior IRS officers in newly-created income tax overseas units in the US, UK and UAE as part of its efforts to trace illegal funds hidden away by Indians abroad. These tax officials will function from the Indian missions in Washington, London, Berlin, Paris, The Hague, Abu Dhabi, Cyprus and Japan.

Estimates by various sources say the total amount of illicit funds could be in the range of $2 trillion, a significant portion of which is believed to be in Switzerland.

With hundreds of thousands of NRI-owned businesses in the Gulf and Far East, tax evaders could use these businesses as conduits to escape the prying eyes of the tax authorities.

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The family of NRI Cipriano Fernandes who died after allegedly being severely beaten when in police custody last year, has finally accepted the compensation of Rs.5 lakhs from the Goa government. Last year the National Human Rights Commission in Delhi ordered that the Goa government ensure a payment of Rs. 5 lakhs to the surviving next of kin.

Cipriano 38, a seafarer, was on vacation in Goa when he was arrested after his woman friend complained that he had threatened her with a knife at her residence. He was arrested and the following day was admitted to hospital where he succumbed to injuries that the post mortem found on his body.

A Special Investigating Team had earlier registered a case of murder and destroying evidence, against unnamed police officials.

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At least 3 members of an Indian family were found dead after a fire tore through their Melbourne home in an incident that police suspect may be a case of murder-suicide.

Police say the house was home to four people three of whom were of Indian descant. At the time of the fire they believe two boys aged 5 and10 and their mother 37, were in the house, but police have not yet identified the bodies or determined exactly how many were dead.

Police say they have a number of deceased in the house but are trying to piece the clues together .

Neighbours made a desperate attempt to get to the home's occupants and used an axe to try to break through the shutters, but they were unsuccessful.

One neighbour said the family had migrated from Canada and the husband worked in IT.

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Thanks to the efforts of the passport authorities in Jalandhar, fly-by-night NRI grooms are making a beeline for the country, either to reconcile with their wives or strike a 'deal' with them that will set them free, because the grooms risk their passports being confiscated.

A section of the Passport Act 1967, has provision for the confiscation of the passport if a person obtains travel documents by suppressing information or furnishing incorrect details. The passport can also be confiscated if criminal proceedings are pending against the passport holders.

Passport officer Singh said a grievance cell has been set up at the passport office to deal with the so-called 'holiday weddings' and thus far around 100 passports have been confiscated and several notices for confiscation have been issued.

It is estimated that over 15,000 girls in the Doaba region have been taken for a ride or dumped by NRI grooms.

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