Chennai: A minister from Andhra Pradesh has sought urgent intervention from India’s Ministry of External Affairs to bring back women domestic workers languishing in Gulf jails for attempting to flee abusive employers or overstaying their visas.
"Women from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana are being sold to the tune of Rs 400,000 ($6,000) in Saudi Arabia and between Rs 100,000 ($1,500) to Rs 200,000 ($3,000) in Bahrain, United Arab Emirates and Kuwait like products are being sold in a retail shop," Palle Raghunatha Reddy, minister for non-resident Indian welfare, said in a letter addressed to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.
"Necessary steps should be initiated to bring them to their native areas safely by providing free travel and necessary visa documents at the earliest possible (opportunity). Instructions should be issued to Indian embassy officials in Gulf countries to interfere in the matter and provide necessary help in terms of food, clothing and shelter," he added.
The minister further said that at least 25 jailed women in Gulf have asked for state government's help recently.
The government data states that approximately six million Indian migrants have set foot in the six Gulf states - Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Oman, out of which many of them are in jail.
Among these, there are women who leave their native places for a three times more paying job overseas. For this, they go up to recruitments agents, who often dupe them.
As the per the government of Andhra Pradesh, some migrants overstay on tourist visas and are unable to pay the fine while others don't have an exit visa, which land them in jails.
A senior member of the AP government said that a team from the state would go to Gulf to investigate the matter.
Also, lawyers will be provided to Indian prisoners for legal advice, he added.
