KOCHI: The Kerala High Court has admitted a writ petition seeking the refund of crores of rupees collected as ECR (Emigration Check Required) deposits from Indian emigrants and has directed the Central Government to submit its response. The division bench, comprising Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Shyam Kumar V.M., accepted the public interest litigation (PIL) filed by NTV Chairman Mathukutty Kadone through Advocate Jose Abraham. The Central Government informed the court that it would verify the exact amount under the ECR deposit category and submit a detailed affidavit by July 29.
Between 1983 and November 25, 2003, non-graduate Indian citizens traveling to 18 specific countries—including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Malaysia, and others—for employment were legally required to deposit an amount equivalent to a one-way airfare as a security deposit for emigration clearance. Over a span of 20 years, hundreds of thousands of migrant workers traveling through international airports like Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Delhi, and Mumbai deposited massive sums, which accumulated in the coffers of the Central Government.
Although the scheme was discontinued in 2003 with the introduction of the Pravasi Bharatiya Bima Yojana, details regarding the total amount collected, the amount refunded, and the remaining balance have never been disclosed to the public. The petition highlights that a parliamentary query raised by MP T.K. Hamza in 2006 indicated that around Rs 5,000 crore was lying as ‘dead money’ under this account.
Appearing for the Center, Deputy Solicitor General O.M. Shalina requested a month’s time to gather precise data from various Protector of Emigrants (POE) offices across the country. She also mentioned that some security deposits collected under this scheme had already been refunded to the original depositors. The writ petition was officially admitted by the High Court on February 27, 2026.
Mathukutty Kadone stated that he approached the High Court after multiple attempts to bring the matter to the attention of political leaders and MPs yielded no results. This public interest litigation raises critical questions about the accountability, management, and transparency of public funds collected from Indian migrant workers. It demands guidelines to identify eligible beneficiaries, process legitimate refund claims, and utilize unclaimed funds for the welfare of the diaspora.
