Telangana police safeguarding overseas job-seekers from fraud: Anjani Kumar

HYDERABAD: Director General of Police (DGP) Anjani Kumar said here on Friday that the Telangana police had been taking appropriate measures to safeguard those intending to seek employment abroad from falling prey to any kind of fraud.

He addressed a meeting on 'Safety and Regularization of Migrants and Employees Going Abroad - Actions to be taken by the Police Department,' organized under the aegis of the Ministry of External Affairs. Anjani Kumar said that while India ranks first in sending professionals to various countries, Telangana is in the forefront of sending abroad well-trained manpower, mainly in nursing and para-medical fields, especially to Middle Eastern and European countries.

However, at the same time, those who go to Gulf countries for various jobs from Karimnagar, Jagtial, Nizamabad, Kamareddy, Nirmal, Adilabad and other districts were being cheated by agents, he said.

“The economically disadvantaged and illiterate people who go to Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Malaysia and Dubai were mostly the victims of these fraudsters,” he observed.

The Telangana police have brought to the notice of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, three cases of cheating faced by those going to Kuwait. The Nizamabad Police Commissionerate has also brought a similar case to the notice of the Ministry of External Affairs.

Anjani Kumar said that a close watch was kept on unrecognized foreign recruitment agencies and tourist agencies in the State.

Ausaf Saeed, Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of India, said that a new Act was being introduced to replace the current Immigration Act-1983 in order to take strict action against fradulent agencies that illegally send people abroad without proper work permits.

He said that the draft of the proposed new law would also be sent to the States for their appropriate feedback and suggestions, if any.

About 3.70 million workers migrated from India to different countries last year including those who went illegally and ended up being cheated by agents, he said adding that women from the southern States of Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana besides migrant workers from Punjab formed the majority of victims of these frauds.

Ausaf Saeed said that the migrants were going illegally to Gulf countries mainly on visit visas. However, he asked the police department to focus on the information about those fraudulent agents who are sending them illegally.

He appreciated Telangana for being at the forefront of the process in quickly completing the passport verification.

Hyderabad Police Commissioner C V Anand said that there were around 82 unauthorized and unregistered recruiting and consultancy agencies in the State. Of these, 52 are in Hyderabad, he added.

Rachakonda Police Commissioner DS Chauhan sought changes in the laws to take strict action against agencies that commit frauds.