Hyderabad: The number of women travelling abroad illegally for work has increased. While around two lakh women from TS and AP, migrate to other states and abroad, a majority of them travel to the Gulf and fall prey to trafficking.
Many of these migrant women are offered jobs like caregivers for the elderly, baby sitters, cooks at homes, domestic helps and hotel waitresses. But these women who are lured with offers of well-paid jobs, often end up as sex workers or serve at bars as dancers, other odd jobs or are harassed physically and forced to work without rest.
They are also deprived of promised wages and other facilities once they land on foreign soil. Activists say predatory agents employed by foreign companies deliberately target single women, women from poor financial backgrounds, divorcees and widows.
They then collect huge commissions and send them abroad using illegal means. Many of them are stranded in countries like the UAE, Oman, Saudi Arabia and in Malaysia in the Southeast. Credible data shows that Karimnagar and Nizamabad districts in Telangana and East Godavari, West Godavari and Kadapa districts in Andhra Pradesh are highly vulnerable to trafficking.
Lack of proper rains leading to crop failures and lack of proper education are pushing women to opt for jobs abroad. As a result of this, they easily fall prey to false promises from agents, who attract them with good job offers and collect huge amounts from them as commission, but cheat them by sending them abroad illegally.
“Agents are spread all over these areas, waiting to trap a woman from a marginalised community or poor financial background. They lure them with the success stories of other migrants who have returned home after earning well. And those who are already waiting for an opportunity to earn some money during a drought-like situation, easily fall for these promises,” said Sr Lissy from Sisters of Charity, who is working with trafficking victims.
“Migration should be legal. But people should also be told about the nature of work,” Mr Bheem Reddy added.
Agents exploit loopholes
Although the Centre has framed strict laws to prevent trafficking, agents exploit loopholes and send people abroad. Lack of a strict vigil at airports also adds to the issue, say activists, who want the government to identify areas which are vulnerable to trafficking and sensitise people there.
The Telangana Development Forum, a US-based body, says the government should frame policies to create income sources for such people by assisting them in the setting up of small-scale industries and NRIs should also take up the cause of trafficking victims.
As per rules, only women aged 30 and above can travel abroad for employment and the process should be done through the Protectorate of Immi-gration. In addition to this, the employer abroad should deposit $2,500 for the employee at the embassy, which can be paid to the employee in the event of death.
Sr Lissy of Sisters of Charity says due to such government laws, the agents are finding new ways to transport women. “Women in their early twenties are provided with documents showing them as aged 30 years, Sister Lissy added.
The Telangana Development Forum says that rural women who are more prone to trafficking should be sensitised and plans to provide employment in their locality should be designed.
