Thousands of Chinese workers in India forced to leave

Last Saturday, thousands of Chinese workers in India, engaged in engineering projects, were forced to leave the country because of a visa clampdown deadline. The clampdown affected contracted projects worth more than 10 billion U.S. dollars, according to a report published in the Global Times on Monday.

Those who fail to meet the government's new criteria for the business visa will have to leave India by Saturday midnight and can return to the country to work only if they meet the stricter criteria for a full employment visa.

Chinese workers are the main part of India foreign workforce. India's "Economic Times" said it is estimated that the number of Chinese workers involved in projects reached some 25,000 people, of which only 1,800 people chose to apply to continue to work in India. Therefore at least several thousands of workers had to return to China.

Viral Thakkar, a partner at global consultancy firm KPMG in Mumbai, said he saw the stricter rules as aimed at keeping foreigners out of semi-skilled jobs.

In the northern state of Himachal Pradesh a major road project has come to halt after Chinese employees working for the contractor had to return home.

"The road is in a complete mess," complained top farmers' leader Sanjay Chauhan after around 100 Chinese workers abandoned the project.

China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, Hu Shisheng said India's rectification of illegal workers is caused by the global financial crisis and is entirely out of "protectionism".

By People's Daily Online