Following the exodus of thousands of North-Easterners from some Indian cities fearing for their safety, the Indian Staffing Federation (ISF) has called for expediting the UID process to cover all migrant workers.

The Unique Identification card will help them truly enjoy the Constitutional right to work anywhere in India and also provide a common mechanism for local Government machinery to identify, validate and respond to their issues and concerns, the ISF said in a release.

Expressing solidarity with the North Easterners who fled fearing for their safety, ISF said migrant labourers were crucial to multiple sectors such as construction, hotel, food & beverages, beauty & wellness besides security services.

Maintaining that the recent instance was more a law & order issue, it said there could be broader economic ramifications, especially on the services sector, if free movement of labour was hampered.

>aditi.n@thehindu.co.in