Guj govt to seek MEA's help for workers stranded in Iraq

Gujarat Home Department will seek the intervention of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to help bring back 58 labourers from the state who have been reportedly held hostage in Iraq by their employer.
After the reports surfaced about alleged torture and ill-treatment of the stranded labourers in Iraq, Minister of State for Home Rajnikant Patel today assured the people of prompt and appropriate action to bring them back.
"State Chief Secretary will write to the MEA as well as the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs to find a solution to bring them back. I have also instructed police officials to lodge cases against visa agents involved in such practice," said Patel during his interaction with media today.

The matter came to light when seven of these labourers, mostly from Navsari, Surat and Bilimora in South Gujarat, managed to return from Iraq.
These workers alleged some agents lured them with high- paying jobs as skilled labourers in an Iraq-based firm. However, when they landed in Iraq, the firm allegedly forced them to work for hours without even providing proper food. They even alleged the firm held them hostage and has taken their passports.
Based on the complaint filed by seven of these labourers, Bilimora police of Navsari district lodged a complaint against five agents for allegedly cheating the workers with false promises.

"These five agents include one from Mumbai and remaining four from Navsari. We learned that 58 labourers are still stranded in Iraq. We have acquired passport details of these workers and sent a report to the state government for further action," said Nilesh Jajadia, Superintendent of Police (SP) Navsari.