3. Protectors of Emigrants.—(1) The Central Government may, by notification, appoint a Protector
General of Emigrants and as many Protectors of Emigrants, as it deems fit, for the purposes of this Act.
(2) The Central Government may, by general or special order, define the area to which the authority
of a Protector of Emigrants so appointed shall extend and, where two or more Protectors of Emigrants are
appointed for the same area, also provide, by such order, for the distribution and allocation of the work to
be performed under this Act in relation to such area.
(3) The Protectors of Emigrants shall perform the functions assigned to them by or under this Act
under the general superintendence and control of the Protector General of Emigrants.
(4) The Protector General of Emigrants may, in addition to the special function assigned to him by or
under this Act, perform all or any of the functions assigned to any Protector of Emigrants.
5
4. General duties of Protectors of Emigrants.—Subject to the other provisions of this Act, every
Protector of Emigrants shall, in addition to the special duties assigned to him by or under this Act—
(a) protect and aid with his advice all intending emigrants and emigrants;
(b) cause, so far as he can, all the provisions of this Act and of the rules made thereunder to be
complied with;
(c) inspect, to such extent and in such manner as may be prescribed—
(i) any emigrant conveyance, or
(ii) any other conveyance if he has reason to believe that any intending emigrants or
emigrants are proceeding from, or returning to, India to or from a place outside India by such
other conveyance;
(d) inquire into the treatment received by emigrants during their voyage or journey to, and during
the period of their residence in the country to which they emigrated and also during the return voyage
or journey to India and report thereon to the Protector General of Emigrants or such other authority as
may be prescribed;
(e) aid and advise, so far as he reasonably can, emigrants who have returned to India.
5. Power to authorise persons to exercise functions of a Protector.—The Central Government
may, if satisfied that it is necessary so to do in the interest of emigrants or intending emigrants, authorise
any person to perform all or any of the functions of a Protector of Emigrants under this Act.
6. Emigration check-posts.—(1) Where the Central Government considers that, with a view to
preventing or checking the contravention of the provisions of this Act, it is necessary so to do, it may, by
notification, set up such number of emigration check-posts at such places as may be specified.
(2) The Central Government may, by general or special order made in this behalf, appoint an officer
of the Central Government or of a State Government to be an officer in charge of an emigration checkpost set up under sub-section (1).
(3) An officer in charge of an emigration check-post shall be subject to the general control and
supervision of the Protector of Emigrants within the local limits of whose jurisdiction that emigration
check-post is situated.
7. Other emigration officers and staff.—The Central Government may appoint such other officers
and employees (hereinafter referred to as the emigration officers and emigration employees), as it may
think fit, to assist the Protector General of Emigrants and the Protectors of Emigrants in the performance
of their duties under this Act.
8. Emigration officers to be public servants.—The Protector General of Emigrants, Protectors of
Emigrants, the officers in charge of emigration check-posts, emigration officers and emigration
employees appointed under this Act shall be public servants within the meaning of section 21 of the
Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860).