HYDERABAD: Bhutagadda Rajendhar, 23, a native of Lakshmidevipally village of Sarangapur mandal in Jagtial district, was forced to return from Dubai, where he had found a job only seven months ago, after his father’s death in 2018. The expenses for the father’s treatment had left the family under a debt of Rs 8 lakh, and Rajendhar had no means to pay it back. That was when he got in touch with an agent who promised to get him a job at a supermarket in Malaysia.
To clear the debts, Rajendhar went to Malaysia on July 16, 2022, on a tourist visa, which cost him Rs 1.5 lakh. He finally started working there without a valid work permit, putting himself at risk. A few days ago, he developed severe pain in his lower abdomen due to kidney stones. As he could not bear his medical costs there, he thought of returning to India. His agent demanded 3,000 Malaysian Ringgits to arrange his travel back home, but he had no money.
Feeling helpless, he called G Muralidhar Reddy, Vice-President of Gulf JAC, seeking his help. After the issue was raised with the Indian High Commission through the ‘MADAD’ portal, Indian officials came to his rescue.
Chitipally Bhojanna, 49, a native of Mendora mandal of Nizamabad district, went to Malaysia on August 27, 2022, after spending Rs 1.2 lakh on a tourist visa and paying Rs 80,000 to his agents to secure a job there. Upon reaching there, he spoke with his family members. An hour later, his agent informed his family that Bhojanna had died of Covid-19.
Rajendhar and Bhojanna are among hundreds of people from rural Telangana being duped by fake agents on the pretext of getting them jobs. They are charged lakhs of rupees for a Malaysian tourist visa, which actually costs around Rs 30,000 only.
“People desperate to find a job fall prey to these fake agents, who send them to Malaysia on tourist visas and get them menial work. In most cases, the visa papers are improper, and migrants face problems at every step of the process — from flying there to finding a job,” says Reddy.
“The agents and job seekers do not register on the e-Migrate portal, which makes the migrant workers eligible for the Centre’s Pravasi Bharatiya Bhima Yojna,” he adds.Under the scheme, the victims’ family members who die from an accident abroad get ‘10 lakh. In case of a problem with the visa sponsor (employer or agent), there is a mechanism for the Indian High Commission to intervene and ensure a return ticket to the workers.