CHANDIGARH: Seven youth from various villages in Ropar district, Punjab, are stranded in Kazakhstan after allegedly being duped by a travel agent who promised them high-paying jobs and better work opportunities.
The youths have now sent out SOS messages to their families, pleading for help to return safely to India.
Sources allege that a local travel agent from Anandpur Sahib sent these youths to Kazakhstan about a month and a half ago under the pretext of offering them driver jobs. However, upon arrival, they were forced into hard labour under inhumane conditions. The youths claim they were promised stable employment and decent living conditions but were instead pushed into exploitative and unsafe situations.
It is reported that the youths are being made to carry heavy loads over long distances in mountainous terrain and live in cramped metal containers, lacking adequate food and safety measures.
A video showing the group working as manual labourers in snow-covered areas of Kazakhstan has gone viral on social media, drawing attention to their plight.
Sources also revealed that the parents of the stranded youths have met Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains and requested the state government to take swift action to bring their children back.
Speaking to The New Indian Express over phone from Kazakhstan, one of the stranded individuals, Harvinder Singh, described the harsh conditions he and his companions are facing. He said they left for Kazakhstan on September 16 after paying Rs 1.5 lakh per person to the travel agent, who promised them driver jobs. In addition, they spent around 70–80 US dollars each as visa fees.
“The travel agent only provided us with flight tickets at the last moment, after holding onto our passports for quite some time. Just before departure, he made us sign an agreement and had it attested,” Singh alleged.
He further stated that they were initially stopped at Delhi airport for not having return tickets, after which the agent arranged them, allowing the group to board the flight. Upon arrival, they discovered their visas were for labour work, not driving.
“We were given ten days of training and then forced to repair old vehicles and do manual labour, not the driving jobs we were promised. We were told we would earn $450 per month plus tips, but the reality is entirely different. Now, the company is demanding Rs 50,000 per person and asking us to buy our own return tickets if we want to leave. We can’t afford that,” Singh said.
He added that they are nearly out of money and have contacted Ajayvir Singh Lalpura, the BJP district president of Ropar. Their families have filed complaints with the Punjab Police, and the travel agent has now promised to arrange return tickets.
“There are many others from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar working under similar inhumane conditions here on an infrastructure project. There are hardly any medical facilities, and we face language barriers since we don’t speak the local language—there's only one translator to assist us,” Singh added.
Those reportedly stranded include Manjeet Singh, Amarjit Singh, Hardeep Singh, Avtar Singh, Harvinder Singh, and others.
Expressing concern over the situation, BJP Ropar district president Ajayvir Singh Lalpura said, “These eight youths contacted me recently, pleading for help to return to India. They are living in appalling conditions—in small containers, without proper food, rest, or medical care. Their families have also filed complaints against the travel agent. I will raise the issue with the Union Government to ensure their safe return.”
