Visa Racket Still Active, 35 Indians duped by Recruitment Agent

Keralamoniot correspondent.

 Even when the amnesty scheme has been going on and the controversy surrounding the suicide of an expatriate worker here, the negative role played by Indian recruitment agents is under the scrutiny of the Indian Embassy and the local authorities.  

Recently the embassy has summoned another recruiting agent from Oman, which has allegedly duped more than 30 people with the help of other Indian travel agents. According to a complaint dated 23 June 2001, jointly submitted by eight Indian workers to the embassy, they were brought to Oman offering lucrative jobs in different companies in return for huge amount of money. "With reference to your complaint dated 10.06.2001 against your sponsors Ms Abu Khalfan al Kindi Trading Establishment) regarding repatriation, you are advised to approach the Omani authorities concerned," the embassy said.

 According to an official source, the embassy has recommended punitive action against two recruiting agencies from Oman and India to the Indian Labour Ministry. One agency from Banglore, Horizon Consultants, was found guilty of duping 200 unemployed Indian youth by collecting huge amounts. According to an embassy official, the recruiting agent got one genuine visa issued by the Omani authorities and duped 200 people by just giving photocopies of the same visa in return for Rs 70,000- Rs 80,000 (RO 700-RO 800)! Fortunately, the victims realised the trick and did not travel to Oman.

 "These people are brought to Oman with an express visa, which expires within 15 days. Now the travel agent is unable to find jobs for them," said embassy sources. "We have brought these people for an Omani company. But the company did not have clearance for labour visa and we have started sending them back. We have met the Indian embassy officials and solved the problem," claimed Shyam, Director, Abu Khalfan al Kindi Trading Establishment.

According to him, the Indian Embassy and the Immigration Department has given time till 20 July to repatriate the employees. "One person named, Udaya Kumar, who brought six to seven people to Oman, is absconding. I am trying to settle the matter and arrange finance for paying the fine," said the director.

"Neither the employer, his representative nor the contractor are permitted to supply workers by taking money from the worker in exchange for his being employed or kept in employment," says Article 19, Part III of Oman Labour Law."Recruiting agents can take their service charges. We are registered with the Omani Ministry of Labour. All the recruiting agents are charging for this service," claims a recruiting agent.

According to the victims, they were lured by friends who directed them to recruiting agents like Green Lines, Mahim Bombay and Ikon Management Consultants, Bombay. These agencies are controlled by the same people who manage the Omani company. Now their express visas have expired and they all are without jobs. Their return air tickets too expired. Even if they have to go back to India, they all have to pay RO 250 each as fine to the immigration department for overstaying in the Sultanate "illegally" and obtain new plane ticket.

"We cannot ban any recruiting agents. We can just refer the case to the Indian labour ministry, which only can ban recruiting agents," said a labour officer of the Indian Embassy. Several such cheating cases occurred in India and people were brought to Oman with "free visas".

According to the victims, about 35 people were brought to Oman on express visas, which are normally issued for business visitors. After luring people from Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Rajasthan, the company director has been sending them for outside work and collecting the wages without paying the workers. Some of the victims have already been deported and now the company has promised to deport all of them by 20 July 2001. "However, the company officials did not turn up for a compromise meeting organised by the Indian Embassy, and social organisations," said sources.

After the norms for getting business visas were liberalised, recruiting agents are bringing innocent people giving express visa and leaving them without any job. Normally people have to find jobs on their own. Express visas are issued in the name of companies like Dubai International Tourism and Trade. One of the victims, said he was brought to Oman after he paid Rs 85,000 to the agent and worked for about a year but the company collected his money. Now he is going back to India under the amnesty scheme.

People sell their properties, ornaments and other means of livelihood to pay for such agents. While it was difficult to arrange visit visas, business and express visas are easily available. Several agents dupe people by approaching them through close friends or relatives in the locality and offer lucrative jobs. They are called to Mumbai, from where they are sent to Muscat. Some of the victims have absconded from the camp and their passports are given to the police. About 5,000 Indians left Oman through the amnesty scheme and many of them had complaints about recruiting agents who had duped them in this fashion.

 About 10,000 illegal exptriates left Oman through the current amnesty scheme. Many of the repatriated Indians were complaining about the dubious role played by some travel agents in bringing them to the Sultanate in return for taking huge sums.

Earlier in 1998, several thousand illegal immigrants left the country through the amnesty scheme. As large number of illegal immigrants continue to enter the country through recruiting agents, authorities need to look at the root cause of the problem. As the business and travel visa norms have been liberalised, recruiting agents who used to cash in from "free visa" system are switching over to new modalities of cheating.  (c) keralamonitor.com