The Hindu : `Majority of immigrants ignorant of job details'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Dec 29, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu

`Majority of immigrants ignorant of job details'

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI Dec. 28. Labour attaché in foreign embassies to help Indian immigration workers in distress, stringent action against bogus agents who exploit illiterate workers and bilateral agreements with other countries to cover the interest of immigrant workers were some of the resolutions adopted at a seminar on ``migrants' rights are human rights,'' organised by the Peace Trust here today.

Speakers narrated the exploitation of Indian migrants abroad and the ``unhelpful'' attitude of some officials of Indian embassies. A majority of immigrants, who were semiskilled, were not aware of the nature of job and salary details. They ``blindly'' entered into agreements with ``bogus agents'' and there was no guarantee to their lives. On many occasions, families were not informed about the difficulties of the affected workers, they said.

S. Ramachandran of the trust appealed to immigrant workers not to go on tourist visa while going for employment. Many of the ``affected workers'' went to other countries only on tourist visas, which denied them basic rights. Interested workers, he said, should find out whether the agent was recognised, which could be checked with the Protector of Immigrants. They should have a minimum knowledge of basic laws in the country to which they were going and should always have their transactions through banks.

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