Sri Lanka workers’ Iraq nightmare
February 7th, 2007BBC reports:
A group of Sri Lankan migrant workers who paid $2,000 each to secure jobs in the Gulf were duped into travelling to Iraq, according to an aid agency.
They had their passports taken and were held against their will in the northern city of Irbil, the International Organisation of Migration (IOM) said.
The Tamil workers realised they were in Iraq because of the cold weather.
After a month they spotted a UN office and asked for help. The IOM helped fly them back to Sri Lanka on Monday.
The agency said the worsening security situation in Iraq had pushed up prices for migrant labour and encouraged trafficking and abuses by some recruitment agencies.
Millions of South Asians work abroad, mainly in the Gulf. Foreign remittances bring hundreds of millions of dollars into Sri Lanka’s economy every year.
I really hate the way these migrant workers are being abused. I really do.
According to the IOM statement, the migrant workers’ appeals to be sent home were met with threats. They were kept imprisoned for a month with no heating, sanitation or proper accommodation.
That’s what the majority of migrant workers are being put through. And they’re going through this on a daily basis, too. You can read more of my opinions on this here.
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