Indians living abroad filed over 60,000 complaints of harassment, sexual and physical abuse as well as other grievances with the country’s missions over the past four years, while the most instances were reported in the Gulf.

According to government data, large number of people also complained against the country’s consulates for failing to provide help.

According to the government, India has the second-largest diaspora in the world after overseas Chinese, with over 25 million of its citizens and people with ancestral links spread across every major part of the world.

The 60,608 complaints were registered under 12 categories of distress with 32 Indian missions abroad. Saudi Arabia saw 12,495 complaints closely followed by 12,110 from Kuwait, 9,786 from Qatar and 6,212 from the UAE.

The Gulf region is key for New Delhi because nearly seven million Indians live there and Kerala alone accounts for about Rs 60,000 crore a year in remittances from this part of the world.

Most of the complaints from here were related to physical and sexual abuse, as well as non-payment of salaries.

The US reported 468 complaints and the UK 245 in these four years. A number of complaints also came in from bereaved Indian families about being unable to send or receive the mortal remains of relatives.

Sources said Indian missions have put in place a number of measures in recent years to address these situations, including appointment of welfare officers, 24X7 helplines, establishment of welfare development funds and financial assistance to Indian women duped by their NRI husbands.

The Embassy in Kuwait have implemented number of measures including publishing the officers contact number online, weekly open house with Ambassador etc.