1. The Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF) is instituted under the guidelines of the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs, Government of India. The fund is aimed at providing ‘on site\' welfare services on a means tested basis in the most deserving cases such as:

(i) Boarding and lodging for distressed overseas Indian workers in Household / domestic sectors and unskilled laborers;

(ii) Extending emergency medical care to the overseas Indians in need;

(iii) Providing air passage to stranded overseas Indians in need;

(iv) Providing initial legal assistance to the overseas Indians in deserving cases,

(v) Expenditure on incidentals and for airlifting the mortal remains to India or local cremation/burial of the deceased overseas Indian in such cases where a sponsor is unable or unwilling to do so as per the contract and the family is unable to meet the cost.
 

2. Overseas Indian workers duped by unscrupulous intermediaries in the host countries, runaway house maids, those who become victim of accidents, deserted spouses of overseas Indians or undocumented overseas Indian workers in need of emergency assistance or any other overseas Indian citizens who are in distress would be the main beneficiaries of the Fund. The Fund will also be utilized to meet the expenditure for airlifting the mortal remains of overseas Indian citizens to India.

3. The Fund is utilized only where the concerned overseas Indian citizen is not able to meet the expenditure for any of the purposes specified above. All necessary details have to be furnished to the Indian Mission. For this purpose, Consular Wing of the Mission can be contacted.