The frustrated pursuit of happiness

Job rackets leave applicants stranded in a foreign nation, without any support, or drop them cold in India after extracting lakhs of rupees from them. They only expand in their scope of nations and innovative strategies

Pain and disappointment writ large in his face, Sunil, 40, sat down to narrate his story at a lodge on Anna Salai in Chennai. Hailing from Malappuram, he began driving an autorickshaw at his hometown after completing Class X. Since he was struggling to make ends meet, and inspired by tales of people from his district going abroad, he began dreaming of a better life in a foreign country. He was directed to an agent at Palavakkam in Chennai.

In the very first meeting, the agent claimed that he had successfully sent many abroad for jobs, and Sunil was quickly convinced. He paid ₹40,000 to him in processing fees for a job in Israel. However, thereafter, there was no progress at all for months. Sunil met the agent frequently to push his case. Every time, the agent collected more money, and altogether Sunil ended up paying ₹7 lakh, which he mopped up by mortgaging his house, pledging his wife’s jewellery, and borrowing from relatives.

The agent claimed he had tied up with a tour operator in Israel for sending 46 men and women en masse as tourists. Tickets for onward and return journeys and hotel rooms were booked in their names. The plan was that they would travel like tourists and on reaching a famous church in Jerusalem, would disappear amid the crowd. Later, they would stay in the houses of relatives or friends who had already settled down as migrant workers and seek jobs. A plan fraught with danger and rejection, but Sunil went ahead because he was desperate to “go abroad”. However, the visa was rejected. Neither could he leave Chennai nor was his money repaid. The agent advised him to stay back and wait for another opportunity, promising this time a job in Canada. He demanded a further ₹8 lakh, and Sunil coughed it up too, borrowing from every one he knew.

Forged ID cards

On May 1, the agent sent Sunil forged ID cards and documents identifying him as a senior scientist in the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) attending a conference of scientists in Canada. This time the visa came through, but as Sunil tried to board a flight at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, the authorities came to know that there was no such conference happening and stopped him. “My dreams are gone. I had to come back and begged the agent to return the money. Instead of returning the money, he threatened me. I am staying at a cheap lodge for five months now, and I’ve been starving. If I go back home, all the people who lent me money will be at my door. So I am hiding in Chennai. My aged father is down with a terminal illness and my wife is unable to bear this life any more.”

Later, investigation revealed that his agent was running an office as a registered bus travel operator. His modus operandi was the same: sending people abroad with forged documents and ID cards as scientists from prestigious research institutions.

But Sunil is far from alone in his predicament. The police say there has been a huge increase in the number of overseas job-seekers being cheated by unscrupulous recruitment agents. Once Gulf countries were the most sought-after, but the pattern of migration by unskilled and semi-skilled aspirants indicates that eastern European nations, including Poland, Romania, Hungary, Lithuania and Armenia, are popular. South Korea, Israel, and Canada have also come into the picture.

Recently, it came to light that job-seekers from several districts, especially from South India, were recruited through illegal manpower agencies and sent to Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Myanmar on tourist visas. Victims are then held captive in Cambodia or Laos for work in harsh and restrictive conditions. They are forced to commit online cyber frauds, which is known as “cyber slavery”.

These agents do not have a licence from the Ministry of External Affairs, which is mandatory to be involved in any recruitment for work abroad. Typically, they target job-seekers through advertisements posted on social media platforms such as Telegram, WhatsApp, and Facebook.

In 2023, G. Mohan, an engineer from Erode, saw an advertisement on Facebook. Out of curiosity, he clicked the link and entered all details sought. Immediately, he received a call from an agent offering a job in Canada and even permanent residentship. They first collected ₹50,000 for processing papers, and subsequently, he had to pay ₹4.5 lakh. Later, they called him, informing there was some delay in getting a visa owing to the India-Canada diplomatic row. “They asked me to go to any European country and work for some time there. It would be easier to migrate to Canada then. They told me that they would arrange a visa from the Slovakian embassy. Days went by, but there was no progress towards travelling to any country or obtaining a visa. They said they would get a visa for another country and demanded more money. The money I paid has still not been returned,” he recounted.

The police later discovered that Akil, 25, of Ernakulam, and S. Veeraragavan, 29, of Tindivanam, also had similar experiences. Irrespective of whom they approached, the police found that some traits were similar.

Tutoring the applicants

These unregistered agents run their illegal operation from outlets such as browsing centres, tea shops, or petty shops, while some of them have swanky offices, creating the impression of a travel agency. They also tutored applicants on how to approach visa officers in embassies, besides supplying forged documents to them. They even tutored them on how to seek asylum in a foreign country, if they managed to get there.

Many of those who were cheated did not file complaints because they were hoping to get their money back. Then how could the police zero in on this racket? Only if the forgery was detected at the processing stage.

In September, last year, Mohammed Irfan Khan of Andhra Pradesh appeared with documents before the visa processing staff in the U.S. Consulate in Chennai and claimed that he was a medical professional and wanted a visa to attend a medical expo. All his documents were found to be fake. In November, Rusheekesh Reddy and Dhivakar Reddy of Andhra Pradesh were caught when they produced fake documents for visa processing for Kallem Sai Ram Reddy. Following this trail, the police found out that all fake certificates were generated at a centre at Villivakkam in Chennai, run by Mohammed Riyas and Mageshwaran since 2019.

Thirumurthy, 30, of Thanjavur, was one of the victims rescued by Indian authorities recently. He recounted, “We paid ₹4.5 lakh to the middleman who arranged this job for a salary of $2,000 a month. Eight of us were taken to Sihanoukville, Cambodia, by road from Bangkok. Our passports were collected by them. Only after landing at the workplace did we realise that it was a scam. We were detained in wire-fenced buildings. When we refused to do their bidding, they would beat us up and even give electric shocks.”

He adds, “Our phone and WhatsApp conversations were scrutinised by them constantly. At last, we managed to send a mail to family members. With the help of a native lawyer, we sought the assistance of the Indian High Commission, and were rescued.”

R. Viswanathan, vice-president of the Tamil Association in Cambodia, said that based on a series of complaints from the affected persons, the Indian authorities, with the help of local officials, rescued the workers, and were trying to put an end to the illegal recruitment and confinement camps. Recently, the CB-CID registered nine cases and arrested 10 illegal recruitment agents. Similarly, the Greater Chennai Police, along with the Emigration Department, raided 10 locations, registered nine cases, and arrested five persons who operated without licence. The Emigration Department has also identified certain districts as hotspots where people try to go abroad through illegal means. These include Tiruchi, Ramanathapuram, Pudukkottai, Thanjavur, Sivaganga, Madurai, Tiruvannamalai, Perambalur, and Thiruvarur.

‘File complaints’

Greater Chennai Police Commissioner A. Arun has advised people to be wary of fake advertisements of foreign employment. Anyone who has been cheated by unauthorised companies should file a complaint, he has said. Surender, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Job Racket Wing, says no individual or agency can recruit Indian citizens for overseas employment without a valid licence. “However, job aspirants get connected to the agents under the radar. We are working on 60 cases of job rackets.”

The Emigration Department advises those seeking jobs overseas to engage only with licensed agents. Licensed agents are required to maintain a bank guarantee with the government, and their operations are monitored and regulated by the offices of Protector of Emigrants (PoE). These agents undergo stringent inspections and document verification before they are licensed.

A valid job offer comes along with an employment contract duly signed by the foreign employer, recruitment agent, and the worker. The contract must mention the terms and conditions of the job and the salary and other emoluments. Valid offers must allow the worker to emigrate on the strength of employment or work visa or other similar visas, not on a tourist visa. As per the Emigration Act, 1983, no recruiting agent shall collect from the prospective emigrant service charges of more than ₹30,000 plus GST (18%) for services, excluding airfare and other charges. A receipt has to be issued.

M. Rajkumar, Protector of Emigrants, Chennai, says, “We have 200-odd licensed agents registered with us. People can see the list of licensed agents on www.emigrate.gov.in and check whether their agents are licensed or not. We have also opened a column called job opportunities as of now for ECR (Emigration Clearance Required) countries. Wherever the licensed agents conduct the interviews, it will be posted here.” He adds that aspirants would be safe when they go through licensed agents. “When ECR passport-holders go to ECR countries, we verify everything for them and give them emigration clearance.”

Job-seekers can dial the PoE helpline 9042149222 for more information.

Published - October 06, 2024 12:18 am IST