India’s High Commissioner to Uganda has warned Indian employers operating in East Africa against confiscating workers’ passports and altering employment contracts, calling the practices illegal and exploitative, with reported cases affecting workers in the region, including Burundi.
Speaking during India’s Republic Day celebrations in Kampala, High Commissioner Upender Singh Rawat said the Government of India has instructed its diplomatic missions worldwide to act against employers who violate workers’ rights abroad.
“The Government of India has directed all missions abroad to take stringent action against Indian employers who indulge in contract substitution and confiscation of passports of Indian employees working overseas,” Rawat said, according to remarks reported by Uganda’s Daily Monitor newspaper.
Rawat described passport confiscation as a serious violation of workers’ rights.
“Confiscation of passports is illegal and exploitative as it restricts the freedom of movement of workers and makes them vulnerable to abuse,” he said.
While the practice has been widely documented in parts of the Middle East, Rawat said diplomatic missions have also received complaints from workers in East Africa.
“Although such practices are more prevalent in the Gulf region, we have received reports from Uganda and Burundi,” Rawat said.
The warning draws attention to labor rights issues among foreign workers in East Africa, where Indian businesses operate across sectors including construction, manufacturing and trade. The Indian diaspora in the region plays a significant role in commerce and investment.
Rawat also urged Indian nationals working abroad to comply with immigration and labor regulations in host countries.
“Indian nationals must ensure they have valid work permits and comply with local laws,” he said, adding that workers are encouraged to register with Indian diplomatic missions to improve access to assistance during emergencies.
Labor rights advocates have long criticized the confiscation of workers’ travel documents, saying the practice can trap workers in abusive conditions. The International Labour Organization has warned that withholding identity documents can contribute to forced labor and other forms of exploitation.
India is one of the world’s largest sources of migrant workers, with millions employed across Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Diplomatic efforts by New Delhi to strengthen worker protections have intensified amid increasing global scrutiny of labor practices involving migrant workers.
