Chief Minister: LDF's Consistent Support for Expatriates, UDF's Oppositional Approach

Malappuram: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has stated that the LDF governments have always adopted an approach of staying connected with expatriates. He was speaking at a press conference in Malappuram, the district with the highest number of expatriates in Kerala. He added that while the LDF has consistently prioritised the welfare of expatriates, the UDF has always taken an anti-expat stance, as evidenced by past experiences.

The initiation of welfare schemes was led by the LDF. The LDF government of 1996 was the first to introduce a welfare fund for expatriates in the country. It was also during this time that NORKA (Non-Resident Keralite Affairs) was formed. The Expatriate Welfare Board came into existence in 2009. Between 2009 and 2011, the number of welfare fund members was only 1.1lakh, but today it has grown to 7.9 lakh.

The LDF government also established the World Kerala Sabha, which has become a public platform for expatriates. Based on the recommendations received from this forum, initiatives like NORKA Care health insurance and the Expatriate Mission were implemented. NORKA Care is a comprehensive scheme offering expatriates with NORKA ID health insurance coverage of Rs 5 lakh and accident insurance coverage of Rs 10 lakh.

The Expatriate Mission was started to facilitate the economic rehabilitation and entrepreneurship promotion of returning expatriates. Under the Saanthwanam scheme, financial assistance worth Rs 212 crore was provided to 35,580 families from 2016 onwards. Through the NDPREM (Non-Resident Keralite Development and Employment) scheme, Rs 106.38 crore was invested to help start 7,800 enterprises. After COVID-19, Rs 118.98 crore was allocated under the Expatriate Safety scheme, which assisted 13,906 individuals in securing self-employment.

Between 2016 and 2025, a total of Rs 739.82 crore in pension benefits was distributed to 68,356 expatriates. NORKA Routes facilitated 3,833 job placements. The government expanded safe migration opportunities beyond Gulf countries to the UK and Germany. Through the German Triple Win program alone, over 625 nurses secured overseas employment. Additionally, the Expatriate Dividend scheme helped the government raise Rs 330.39 crore. The Chief Minister emphasised that the LDF is approaching the people in this election with a clear record of doing everything possible for expatriates.