ICWF

A scheme by Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) for the welfare of Overseas Indians; assisting them in distress situations. ICWF has also been a critical support in emergency evacuation of Indian nationals from conflict zones, countries affected by natural disasters and other challenging situations.

The scheme Indian Community Welfare Fund" has been launched by Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) for the welfare of Overseas Indians; assisting them in distress situations. ICWF has also been a critical support in emergency evacuation of Indian nationals from conflict zones, countries affected by natural disasters and other challenging situations. In view of its immense utility, ICWF stands extended to all Indian Missions and Posts abroad. The ICWF guidelines have been revised further to make them more broad-based and expand the scope of welfare measures that can be extended through the Fund. They are expected to provide Indian Missions and Posts abroad greater flexibility in swiftly addressing to requests for assistance by Overseas Indian nationals.

• The applicant must be an Overseas Indian.1. The applicant must be in a distress situation (as defined under scheme benefits).

> Assisting Overseas Indian nationals in distress situations:

• Transportation of Mortal Remains and expenditure on incidentals of deceased Indian national to India or local cremation/burial of deceased in such cases where the employer, sponsor or insurance company is unable or unwilling to do so as per the contract and the family is unable to meet the cost.
• Boarding and lodging for deserving distressed Indian nationals abroad on a means tested basis in budget category or shelters run by Mission/Post or NGOs empanelled with Mission.
• Air passage to India to stranded Overseas Indian nationals
• Legal Assistance on a means tested basis to deserving overseas Indian nationals who have committed minor crimes, offences or have been falsely implicated by their employer and put in jails; fishermen/seamen/sailors/Indian students in distress;
• Payment for small fines and penalties in respect of Indian nationals for minor offences/crimes; for illegal stay in the host country where prima facie the worker is not at fault, and to enable release of Indian nationals from jail/detention center
• Emergency Medical Care on means tested basis to overseas Indians who are involved in an accident (with serious life threatening injuries) have life-threatening medical conditions or suffer a serious disability.

> Support for Community Welfare activities:

• To promote Indian Culture by organizing cultural programmes by recognized Indian Diaspora organizations at major Indian Festivals, National Days of India; Indian culture Programs by recognized local artists or Indian artists based in India etc.
• Payment of honorarium for teachers/faculty teaching Indian languages, art forms.
• Welfare activities for Indian students towards organizing Annual Day for Indian students at Universities/educational institutions to discuss problems, issues faced by Indian students, including their visa, residence status, work permit, financial, welfare and other issues with participation of students.

> Improvement in Consular services:

• Hiring of limited additional staff for rendering various consular services
• Hiring vehicles on a need basis for visits to jails, police stations; detention centres; labour camps; welfare camps; shelters for distressed Indians; prisons; hospitals; morgues and to airports for deportation/repatriation of distressed Indian nationals.
• Hiring of local interpreters on a case-to-case basis for consular visits.
• Design, publication, translation costs of pamphlets by Mission/Post about local labour laws, regulations, norms, dos & don’ts, welfare measures pertaining to overseas employment in the host country.
• Organizing labour camps / consular camps for interacting with Indian migrant workers and informing them about issues related to overseas employment; labour laws; welfare and protection measures of the government.
• Setting up 24 x 7 toll-free helplines, walk-in resource centres for providing information, advise, guidance on problems faced by distressed Indian nationals; and helping them register their grievance with the Mission/Post.
• Development of e-Governance solutions, applications to address Consular/ welfare matters.

• Persons of Indian Origin aren’t covered under ICWF.
• The “Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) Card Holders” are not eligible for individual financial assistance from ICWF.