Punjabi youth languishes in refugee camp in Malaysia
Friday, 12/07/2013
http://epaper.dailypostindia.com/Details.aspx?id=74852&boxid=58203&uid=&dat=2013-07-12
KotKapura (Faridkot): Trapped by travel agents, a youth from Tharha village here is staying in a refugee camp in Malaysia and had even spend three months in jail for having been caught without a passport, which was snatched by the agents.
Dharminder Singh had left the country six months ago for earning money to support his family by getting a two years’ work permit. He had spent Rs 1.50 lakh for getting the work permit.
“The travel agent had promised us that Dharminder would be given Rs 18,000 per month. But the visa turned out to be a simple tourist visa instead of work visa. He was made to work at a company but was paid nothing,” said Dharminder’s mother Jasvir Kaur.
“After a few days of the bonded labour, his passport was snatched and he was forced to leave the company when he had protested against the forgery,” she alleged.
The Malaysia Police arrested him for illegal human trafficking and sentenced him to three-month jail term. After the completetion of the term, Dharminder was sent to a refugee camp near Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. The security officials of the refugee camp informed his mother over phone that Dharminder had no identity proof so could not be released. “I have met the travel agents, who had sent my son to Malaysia, but they refused to do anything. They demanded Rs 40,000 more if I wanted to bring my son back to India,” alleged Jasvir Kaur.
Handing over a plea to Faridkot Additional Deputy Commissioner Mohan Lal, the mother demanded from the Indian government to issuance of fresh passport to her son.
