How a 20-year-long campaign helped bring over 2,000 stranded Indians home

Over the past 20 years, more than 2,000 Indians stranded abroad have been brought back to the country as part of an active repatriation campaign. Additionally, the remains of many Indians who passed away overseas have been returned to their families.
This campaign was initiated nearly two decades ago by BJP MP Baijayant Panda, initially focused on repatriating Odia people to their homeland. Over time, it gradually expanded, eventually facilitating the return of Indians from various states and, more recently, from countries worldwide.
Concerned about the plight of Indians who left their homes in search of better livelihoods but ended up stranded under harsh conditions, several NGOs reached out to Jay Panda years ago. They provided him with a list of people from Odisha who had migrated to other states.
A dedicated team was formed, and they began coordinating with state governments to locate and assist stranded Odia people. Over time, this mission extended to Indians stranded overseas, many of whom found themselves in dire situations.
Today, the central government prioritises the repatriation of stranded Indians, in part due to the active role played by this campaign. In 2014, the government issued an order mandating consulates to respond to reports of stranded citizens immediately. Within 24 hours of receiving such information, consulates initiate efforts to locate and assist these individuals.
Repatriating the bodies of Indians who die abroad remains a challenging process, but it has been streamlined to ensure families receive the remains with minimal delay. Every month, MP Jay Panda, representing Kendrapara in Odisha, receives reports of deceased Odia migrants from various parts of the world, including countries like Malaysia, Syria, Afghanistan, and the UAE.
Many Indians living abroad face severe hardships, including confiscated passports, cramped living conditions with 15–20 people per room, and exploitative jobs. Unscrupulous agents lure these workers with promises of lucrative positions, only for them to find themselves in low-paying, often dangerous, labour roles upon arrival.
India’s growing influence on the global stage has aided the repatriation process, as countries often respond promptly to India’s requests for locating its citizens. However, the process becomes particularly challenging when workers’ passports have been confiscated.
A dedicated team gathers information on these cases, often assisted by family members reporting missing relatives who went abroad in search of work.
The government has launched a crackdown on fly-by-night agents to curb such cases. Most of the repatriated Indians were semi-skilled workers misled into believing they would secure well-paying jobs abroad, only to end up in menial, life-threatening work instead.