Far fewer workers are travelling overseas. Until November, only 88,964 Indians had been granted emigration clearances to work abroad in 2020. In contrast, 340,157 and 368,043 workers received clearances in 2018 and 2019. Private recruiting agencies closed down, and borrowed to stay afloat. Worker visas issued at the start of the pandemic were cancelled. “Our offices were closed from March to October last year,” Ramana Chitla, a registered recruiting agent told Article 14. “Earlier, I used to receive 60-100 visas each month. Today, I have just 20 visas.” For years, India’s recruiting agencies have been lobbying the government to withdraw its protective wage system. Their argument: India’s referral wages are significantly higher than actual wage rates in the Gulf and in light of this—foreign employers were taking their business elsewhere. India’s move to depress wages may be driven by its desire to compete in the international labour market with neighbours—Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka—whose citizens are vying for the same jobs. Lowering expected wages might drive up demand. Meanwhile in Abu Dhabi, Arvind Karamkanti started work at the end of December for 735 dirhams. “I started with the night shift,” he said. “Now I work in the day—9 hours duty with an hour's break for lunch. Total 10 hours duty.” *The names of migrant workers have been changed on request for fear of reprisals from their employers. (Nikhil Eapen is a freelance journalist and a researcher atEquidem, a labour-rights organisation) Article 14. All Rights Reserved. Archive reacharticle14@gmail.com