India defers controversial ECNR registration for NRIs

Dubai: The Indian government has deferred a decision to make pre-departure registration mandatory for ECNR passport holders flying to 18 countries including the UAE.

In a public notice, India’s top emigration officer who signed the November 14 advisory stated that the decision to make ECNR registration for Indians flying to these countries on employment visa has been deferred due to concerns raised by the community.

“In response to the concerns raised by NRI community, the Government of India has decided to defer mandatory pre-registration for Non-ECR passport holders with employment visa of UAE and other affected countries,” the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi tweeted while sharing the notice.

The advisory regarding registration of non-ECR passport holders has been kept in abeyance until further orders it added.

On Wednesday, Gulf News highlighted concerns expressed by Indian expatriates who questioned the legality of the registration rule under which passengers could be offloaded if they fail to comply.