Friday 08 / May / 2026
New York: On the the second International Migration Review Forum (IMRF), the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations organised an event on May 7at the United Nations Headquarters on the theme, “Leveraging Digital Innovation in Migration Governance – The e-Migrate Experience of India.”
In his remarks, Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations, Harish Parvathaneni reaffirmed India’s commitment to promoting safe and regular migration pathways. He said there is a need for a clear distinction between migrants and refugees, particularly in the application of legal frameworks governing them.
Mr Harish highlighted the use of India’s digital public infrastructure to develop large-scale practical solutions for migrants, citing the e-Migrate platform as an example. He conveyed India’s willingness to support partner countries interested in adopting open-source digital platforms for migrant welfare and migration management.
India’s Minister of State for External Affairs of India, Kirti Vardhan Singh said the e-Migrate portal as a central component of India’s digital migration governance framework.
He said the platform has strengthened “transparency, protecting migrant workers, and facilitating safe and regular migration” through integrated digital services, verified recruitment systems, multilingual support, and online grievance redressal mechanisms. He also underlined the use of AI-powered language translation tools to improve accessibility and inclusiveness for users.
According to Singh, the portal currently includes nearly 298,000 registered foreign employers and 2,457 active recruiting agents. He also highlighted the e-Migrate mobile application, which allows users to track applications, verify recruiting agents, and access grievance redressal services.
The keynote address was followed by a panel discussion featuring an exchange of best practices in migration and mobility governance.
Kim Eling, senior director at IOM, praised India’s leadership in digital migration governance. Saúl Pacurucu, vice minister of Human Mobility of Ecuador, discussed Ecuador’s experience with circular migration programs and digital consular services aimed at creating safe and formal labor mobility pathways.
Florian Laudi, commissioner for Multilateral Affairs of Germany, emphasized the expanding partnership between India and Germany in the areas of skilled migration, labor mobility, vocational training, and digital migration systems, noting the mutual benefits of migration cooperation between the two countries.
The International Migration Review Forum (IMRF) serves as the primary intergovernmental global platform to discuss and share progress on the implementation of the Global Compat on Migration and its intersection with Sustainable Development Goals. It will consist of four interactive multi-stakeholder Round Tables, a Policy Debate, and a Plenary. It will result in adoption of a Progress Declaration. The Second IMRF is being organized in continuation of the first IMRF held in 2022 in which India had actively participated and contributed substantially for safeguarding and furthering interests of its migrant Community.
