250 Telugus on their way to Iraq despite crisis

Hyderabad: Despite the tense situation, many people from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh are flying to Iraq for work as most of them have already paid Rs 1.5 lakh to agents. Many usually fly to Kuwait and then go by road or take a connecting flight.

Five days ago, over 30 Telugus were sent from New Delhi to Basra in Iraq on a six month work permit visa despite the severe unrest there. Migrants rights forums said that another 450 people, including 250 Telugus, are being sent to Erbil and parts of Najaf and Karbala.

“We have been pressurising the government not to send anyone now. But, many agents have a lot of alternative plans. They either use different connecting flights or sometimes half the journey is by air and the rest by road. Many people are misled, and since they would have already run up huge debts to pay Rs 1.5 lakh to the agents, their only way out is to go and work,” said K. Bheem Reddy, vice-president, Migrants Rights Council.

Sources from Kuwait said that some migrants travel to Kuwait and go by road to Basra, the second largest city in Iraq. “Many workers come here. Most of them try alternative routes and reach the place somehow. When they are in severe debts, all that they think of is how to clear the dues, and it is possible only through a job,” he said. Having studied and reported extensively in the field, the source said, “The working environment is very harsh at these places and people have to work for 12 hours every day.”