The Mizoram Police successfully rescued three women from the state who were stranded in Syria for nearly 20 months, according to an official statement released on Sunday.
About the incident
The three women, who hail from the Hnahthial and Champhai districts of Mizoram, had left India in 2022 after being recruited by a private placement agency to work as housemaids in Syria. Upon their arrival in Syria on November 6, 2022, they quickly began facing severe hardships and mistreatment from their employers.
As news of their plight reached Mizoram, Chief Minister Lalduhoma and Home Minister K Sapdanga took immediate action. Under their direction, the state authorities initiated efforts to secure the women's release and safe return. The state government, also in coordination with the Indian Embassy in Damascus, raised the case with Syrian authorities.
About the rescue efforts
According to the officials, the case involved legal complications. But, after securing favorable court rulings, the Indian Embassy in Damascus provided shelter for the three women for three weeks while they awaited their exit visas.
On August 20, the women were finally able to leave Syria, arriving in New Delhi later that day. They were brought back to Aizawl, Mizoram’s capital, on Saturday. According to police officials, the women will be sent to their home villages within the week to be reunited with their families.
(With inputs from PTI)
