Hyderabad: Trusting agents blindly is trouble

Hyderabad: Unauthorised and illegal recruitment of people is rampant in the rural areas and every week one or two complaints of people getting stuck in the Gulf countries emerge on social media. There is no reliable database to show how many people have opted to work in the Gulf from the state. With no proper formula in place, Gulf aspirants from rural areas are often duped by unauthorised agents who lure them with non-existing jobs.

Emigrants Welfare Forum president, M. Bheem Reddy, said, “Though there are approximately 1,200 licensed agents, all of them are based in metropolitan cities and 40 per cent are in Mumbai alone. Taking advantage of this, unauthorised agents are duping thousands of Gulf aspirants, promising them non-existent jobs. Rural and illiterates fall prey easily.”

He wanted the government to bring about awareness among people. “People should also be cautious and not trust agents blindly. Aspirants should demand that agents show them their license number,” Mr Bheem Reddy said.

Migrants rights activist P. Basanth Reddy received an appreciation certificate from the Consulate General of India in Erbil, Iraq, for arranging the repatriation of 14 workers back to Telangana state. They were reportedly cheated by travel agents who offered them employment in Iraq.