Telangana Migrant Workers Stranded in Jordan

NIZAMABAD: Twelve migrant workers from Telangana who went to Jordan in search of employment have been stranded there for several days, facing severe hardship. Their families have appealed to both the state and Central governments to take immediate action to bring them back safely.

The workers, hailing from Nizamabad, Nirmal, Kamareddy, Jagtial, and Siddipet districts, left for Jordan on September 25, 2024. Visa issues, lack of basic facilities, and harassment at workplaces forced them to seek urgent repatriation.

The stranded workers alleged that a few middlemen had promised them better employment opportunities and living conditions after taking ₹2 lakh from each person. Upon reaching Jordan, they realised they had been deceived, as accommodation and food facilities were extremely poor and the wages far lower than promised. They approached the Indian Embassy in Jordan for help but have not received any relief so far.

The stranded persons have been identified as Mettu Muthyam of Kuchanpalli in Soan mandal, Nirmal district; Vanga Bhaskar of Domakonda in Kamareddy district; Valgate Gangadhar of Erugatla in Nizamabad district; Macherla Swamy of Chintamanapalli in Kamareddy district; Gummula Manohar of Velkatur in Jagtial district; Pendyala Mahender of Dubbaka in Siddipet district; Ganesh of Kamareddy; Pendyala Srinu of Nizamabad; Bommanama Pochayya of Siddipet; Rajkumar of Kamareddy; Mukim of Kuntala (D) in Nirmal district; and Narsimlu of Jagtial district.

In a video clip shared on social media, one of the stranded workers said that the accommodation and food arrangements were unbearably poor and that private company officials were forcing them to work for low wages. He alleged that they were not even allowed to return home when family members died in Telangana and that the Indian Embassy officials, despite being informed, failed to provide assistance.

Generally, migrant workers in Jordan are allowed to switch companies depending on wages and facilities, but the workers said the officials’ harassment prevented them from doing so. They continue to call their families in Telangana, pleading for government help.

Former minister and BRS MLA T. Harish Rao criticised both the Central and State governments for their inaction, calling it shameful that the plight of Gulf migrants was being ignored. He said that during the BRS regime, migration had decreased, but under the Congress government, unemployment and lack of opportunities had once again forced people to leave for desert regions in search of livelihood.

Harish Rao also accused the Congress of failing to fulfil the promises made in its Abhaya Hasta manifesto regarding the welfare of Gulf workers and NRIs. He said the proposed NRI Welfare Board and Gulf Welfare Board had not been established, and the promised toll-free helpline for migrant workers was yet to be set up. The BRS leader demanded that Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and Union ministers G. Kishan Reddy and Bandi Sanjay take immediate steps to rescue the 12 stranded workers from Jordan and ensure their safe return to Telangana.