- Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Mittal urged the Centre to introduce an Expat Protection Law.
- Incidents of racial violence and harassment against Indians abroad are rising sharply.
- Indian deaths overseas rose from 29 in 2021 to 86 in 2023, highlighting serious concern.
Raising alarm over the recent series of attacks and deaths involving Indians overseas, Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Mittal urged the Centre to introduce a dedicated Expat Protection Law to strengthen support for citizens living abroad.
Speaking during a Special Mention in the Rajya Sabha, the BJP leader said incidents of racial violence, hate crimes and harassment targeting Indians in different countries were becoming a matter of serious concern and required an institutional response.
Mittal said that official figures indicate a rise in the number of Indians killed abroad. He said the number increased from 29 in 2021 to 86 in 2023, describing the trend as deeply worrying.
Referring to recent cases, he pointed to the alleged racial assault on Hyderabad resident Syed Sohel Uddin in Utah in the United States. He also mentioned the killing of 24-year-old Sikh woman Kirandeep Kaur in Hayes, West London, along with the deaths of Indian student Shivank Awasthi in Canada and Chandra Nagamallaiah in the United States.
The MP also cited incidents in Europe, including an attack on an Indian man and a child in Ireland that was allegedly accompanied by racist abuse. He further referred to a case in the United Kingdom where an elderly Sikh man's turban was allegedly disrespected.
Calling for a comprehensive legal framework, he proposed an Expat Protection Law that would ensure immediate legal aid, financial assistance, stronger consular support and dedicated mechanisms to help victims and their families seek justice. He also called for provisions to facilitate safe repatriation in exceptional situations.
"Our diaspora represents India's global identity and contribution to the world. Their safety and dignity must be treated as a national responsibility," he said, urging the government to examine the proposal.
Mittal said expats' families back home often face enormous challenges when such incidents occur in foreign countries, including navigating unfamiliar legal systems, dealing with procedural hurdles and bearing significant financial costs while pursuing justice.
