New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has shared data revealing actions taken against illegal recruitment agents between January 2021 and February 2025, according to information provided in response to a Right to Information (RTI) application. The query was filed by Commodore Lokesh K Batra (Retd.), a transparency campaigner.The data, furnished by the MEA’s Overseas Employment & Protector General of Emigrants Division, indicates that a total of 5,383 complaints concerning illegal agents were forwarded to various state and Union territory governments for initiating investigations during this period. The highest number of complaints referred was in 2021 (1,553), followed by 2024 (1,378).In the same timeframe (2021-Feb 2025), the ministry issued 49 prosecution sanctions enabling state/UT police authorities to prosecute the accused illegal agents after investigation. Commodore Batra noted that his original request sought data covering the period from 2014 onwards, whereas the response provided data starting only from 2021.State-wise figures reveal significant variations in the number of complaints and subsequent actions reported. Notably, Andhra Pradesh accounted for the largest share of complaints forwarded, totalling 2,890 cases between 2021 and Feb 2025. However, the provided data indicates only 16 Action Taken Reports (ATRs) were submitted by the State police during this time, and just one prosecution sanction was issued by the MEA for Andhra Pradesh. In contrast, Kerala, which had 531 complaints referred, saw 17 prosecution sanctions issued by the MEA based on requests following police investigation. Delhi also recorded a notable number of cases, particularly a surge in 2024 (92 complaints) and early 2025 (115 complaints by February), leading to 11 prosecution sanctions being issued in 2024.Regarding other states often associated with migration trends, Punjab had 103 complaints referred between 2021 and Feb 2025, but the data indicates no prosecution sanctions were issued by the MEA for the state during this timeframe. For Gujarat, 15 complaints were forwarded, culminating in one prosecution sanction (against four individuals) issued in early 2025. Haryana had seven complaints referred, resulting in one prosecution sanction being issued in 2024.An analysis of the consolidated data reveals a significant gap between the number of complaints forwarded to states (5,383) and the number of Action Taken Reports (ATRs) submitted by state police authorities, which totalled only 756 during the period. Concurrently, the MEA data indicates that prosecution sanctions were issued in all 49 cases for which a formal request was received from State/UT authorities following their investigation.The MEA’s response also included a copy of an office memorandum dated September 25, 2024, detailing a standard operating procedure (SOP) for State/UT Police Authorities. This SOP is aimed at promoting safe and legal migration and guiding authorities on handling complaints and taking action against illegal recruitment and human trafficking, emphasising that ‘law and order’ is a state subject.
