Chennai, Sep 7 (IANS) – In a heartening turn of events, 19 young individuals from Tamil Nadu, who had been trapped in Kuwait for over a year by a fraudulent travel agency, have been successfully rescued by the Indian embassy and have finally returned to Chennai.
The youths were warmly received at the Chennai airport by Tamil Nadu Minister K.S. Masthan and other government officials.
The ordeal began when these young individuals entrusted Rs one lakh each to a travel agency that promised them lucrative job opportunities in Kuwait starting in May 2022, assuring them a monthly salary of Rs 60,000, along with free accommodation and meals.
However, upon their arrival in Kuwait, their dreams turned into a nightmare. Instead of the promised salary, they were told they would receive only Rs 18,000 per month and would have to pay for their own lodging and food expenses. To make matters worse, they were subjected to longer working hours.
When the youths protested and demanded to be released from their unfair contracts, the agency insisted they pay a hefty sum of Rs 60,000 each. Matters escalated when, in June of this year, they were informed that their visas had expired and they would need to pay an additional Rs 1,25,000 each for visa renewal.
Faced with this financial burden, the youths found themselves in a dire situation and unable to afford the renewal fees. This prompted the agency to resort to harsh measures, cutting off their access to basic necessities by disconnecting their power and water supply in an attempt to force compliance.
In their desperate situation, the youths reached out to the Indian embassy for help and narrated the harrowing experience they had endured. The intervention of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin further accelerated the rescue process, as he directly contacted the Indian embassy in Kuwait to secure the release of the 19 youths.
This incident sheds light on the vulnerability of individuals who seek employment abroad and the importance of conducting thorough research and verifying the credibility of recruitment agencies. The Indian embassy’s swift action in rescuing these young people serves as a reminder of the government’s commitment to safeguard the welfare of its citizens, even in foreign lands.